Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in small animal practice is largely based on classic two-dimensional spin-echo, inversion recovery and gradient-echo sequences which are largely limited by low spatial resolution, especially in low-field (LF)-MRI scanners. Nowadays, however, the availability of volumetric sequences can open new perspectives and enhance the diagnostic potential of this imaging modality. Balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) is a three-dimensional gradient-echo sequence in which image contrast is given by the ratio of T2 and T1, resulting in low soft-tissue signal, poor cerebral grey/white matter distinction and a bright signal from free fluid and fat. Such properties, along with a high signal-to-noise ratio and a very high spatial resolution deriving from acquisition of contiguous blocks of data, make this sequence perfectly suited for morphologic imaging, particularly for fluid-containing structures. Although bSSFP is widely adopted in human medical imaging, the use of this sequence in veterinary radiology is limited to anatomic studies of the inner ear and quadrigeminal cistern. This review aims to discuss the technical background of the bSSFP sequence and its possible advantageous applications in small animal LF-MRI for different specific disorders of the spine (arachnoid diverticula, small disc herniation, facet joint synovial cysts), brain (supracollicular fluid accumulation, traumatic injuries) and ligaments (complete and partial tears).
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Notes
ESAOTE VET-MR GRANDE, Esaote, Genoa, Italy.
OsiriX DICOM-viewer: Pixmeo, Geneva, Switzerland.
Abbreviations
- 2D:
-
Two-dimensional
- 3D:
-
Three-dimensional
- bSSFP:
-
Balanced steady-state free precession
- CrCL:
-
Cranial cruciate ligament
- CSF:
-
Cerebrospinal fluid
- FA:
-
Flip angle
- FID:
-
Free induction decay
- FLAIR:
-
Fluid attenuated Inversion recovery
- FOV:
-
Field of view
- GE:
-
Gradient-echo
- IR:
-
Inversion recovery
- LF-MRI:
-
Low-field Magnetic Resonance imaging
- LM:
-
Longitudinal magnetization
- MDCT:
-
Multidetector computed tomography
- MPR:
-
Multiplanar reformatting
- MRI:
-
Magnetic Resonance imaging
- NEX:
-
Number of executions
- PD:
-
Proton density
- QC:
-
Quadrigeminal cistern
- RF:
-
Radio-frequency
- SADs:
-
Spinal arachnoid diverticula
- SE:
-
Spin-echo
- SFA:
-
Supracollicular fluid accumulation
- SNR:
-
Signal-to-noise ratio
- TE:
-
Echo time
- TM:
-
Transverse magnetization
- TR:
-
Repetition time
- VR:
-
Volume rendering
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Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank the staff of the Pingry Veterinary Hospital of Bari (Italy) for their assistance with data collection.
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Ricciardi, M. Principles and applications of the balanced steady-state free precession sequence in small animal low-field MRI. Vet Res Commun 42, 65–86 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-017-9708-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-017-9708-7