Contrast enhancement in cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy: a comparison of T1 TSE and MPRAGE sequences

Purpose: To compare conventional T1 TSE with MPRAGE for enhancement detection in cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD). Materials and methods: Contrast-enhanced T1 TSE and MPRAGE sequences of 34 CALD patients demonstrating enhancement were evaluated. Contrast ratios were calculated by drawing ROIs to the most enhancing part of demyelination and normal-appearing deep white matter on both T1 TSE and MPRAGE. A comparison was performed between ratios using paired T test. Results: Mean age of 34 included male children was 8 (5–11 years). There was no statistically significant difference between T1 TSE and MPRAGE ratios. However, in 4 out of 34 examinations, minimal contrast enhancement was noted only in T1 TSE sequence. Conclusion: Our data indicate that both T1 TSE and MPRAGE sequences are valuable in determining contrast enhancement in CALD. Although there is not a statistically significant difference between the two techniques, T1 TSE sequence appears to be more sensitive for low degree of enhancement.