3T MR Imaging of Peripheral Nerves Using 3D Diffusion-Weighted PSIF Technique

High-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) Neurography is a novel imaging technique, which enables multiplanar imaging of peripheral nerves, as well as diagnosis and localization of entrapment and non-entrapment peripheral neuropathies related to etiologies, such as inflammation, tumor and trauma. Typically, MR Neurography techniques utilize a combination of fat-saturated T2-weighted, short inversion time recovery (STIR), or T2 spectral adiabatic inversion recovery turbo spin echo (T2 SPAIR TSE) images for the detection of the nerve signal, contour and size changes, as well as T1-weighted spin echo or fluid attenuated long inversion recovery (FLAIR) images for the anatomic assessment of the involved areas, based on the abundant intraand perineural fat. However, the diagnostic ability of conventional MR Neurography is limited in the evaluation of smaller peripheral nerves of the axial and appendicular skeleton, where the similar caliber and T2 signal intensity of peripheral nerves and adjacent vessels render discrimination of the above structures difficult, if not impossible. Since nerve injuries and entrapments commonly lead to effacement of perineural fat in the area of involvement, T1-weighted images are often not helpful. In addition, an attempt to sup3T MR Imaging of Peripheral Nerves Using 3D Diffusion-Weighted PSIF Technique