Csf‐suppressed t2‐weighted threel‐dimensional mp‐rage MR imaging

Fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) is a pulse sequence used for acquiring T2‐weighted images of the brain and spine in which the normally high signal intensity of CSF is greatly attenuated. The CSF‐sup pressed T2‐weighted contrast of this technique may be more sensitive to a variety of disorders than that of conventional Tz‐weighted imaging. The primary disadvantage associated with conventional spin‐echo implementations of FLAIR is the relatively limited anatomic coverage that can be achieved in a reasonable imaging time. We developed and optimized a three‐dimensional magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient‐echo (3D MP‐RAGE) pulse sequence that combines CSF‐suppressed T2‐weighted contrast similar to exleting FLAIR techniques with anatomic coverage characteristic of 3D imaging. A preliminary evaluation of the new sequence was performed by imaging healthy volunteers and patients with multiple sclerosis.