Susceptibility-weighted Imaging: Technical Essentials and Clinical Neurologic Applications

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) evolved from simple two-dimensional T2*-weighted sequences to three-dimensional with improved spatial resolution and enhanced susceptibility contrast. SWI is an MRI sequence sensitive compounds that distort the local magnetic field (eg, calcium iron), in which phase information can differentiate. But term colloquially used denote high-spatial-resolution susceptibility-enhanced across different vendors even when not used. The appearance of related strongly depends on acquisition technique. Initially, were mostly improve depiction findings already known standard neuroimaging: more microbleeds patients who are aging or dementia mild brain trauma; increased conspicuity superficial siderosis Alzheimer disease amyloid angiopathy; iron deposition neurodegenerative diseases abnormal vascular structures, such as capillary telangiectasia. also helps identify visible images: nigrosome 1 Parkinson Lewy bodies, central vein peripheral rim signs multiple sclerosis, sign abscesses, arterial signal loss thrombus, asymmetrically prominent cortical veins stroke, intratumoral signals neoplasms. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material available for this article.