MRI of the intracerebral lesions at 0.5 Tesla: comparison of fast spin-echo and conventional spin-echo sequences.

Fast spin-echo sequences was compared with conventional spin-echo sequences at 0.5 Tesla, in 130 patients who attended for routine brain MRI. Artefacts and contrast behaviour of anatomical structures and lesions were assessed visually and quantitatively by contrast-to-noise ratios. The difference between conventional spin-echo and fast spin-echo in contrast in intracerebral tumors and infarcts was not found to be significant statistically. Small amounts of haemosiderin and calcifications could not be seen on fast spin-echo images especially in T2 weighted. Flow artefacts were considerably reduced on fast spin-echo images. Motion artefact was considerably increased on dual-echo fast spin-echo sequences. There were no statistical differences between the results of the visual findings and between those of CNR values except for contrast between CSF and white matter and between haemoatoma and background in T2 sequences. Our results suggest that by virtue of the shorter acquisition time, diagnostic reliability and reduced flow artefact single-echo FSE sequences should be preferred to dual-echo CSE sequences in routine brain MRI at 0.5 Tesla.