Evaluation of Intraneural Ganglion Cysts Using 3D FSE-Cube

Purpose: It is often difficult to definitively diagnose intraneural ganglion cysts with conventional MR imaging and to identify the origin of the cyst in a joint via what may often be a subtle connection [1]. Identification of the joint connection has important clinical implications if it is not addressed surgically, such as: cyst recurrence, incomplete patient recovery, and suboptimal operative outcomes [2-4]. The ideal acquisition for imaging these cysts would be a 3D acquisition with isotropic spatial resolution that would achieve optimum reformatting in all areas within a reasonable scan time. A recently developed technique of a fast-recovery 3D FSE with an extended echo-train acquisition (Cube) overcomes many of the previous imaging shortcomings and meets the above criteria [5]. It is the purpose of this study to demonstrate the clinical utility of 3D FSE-Cube in the evaluation of intraneural ganglion cysts and the important joint connection.