The added value of double inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in evaluation of patients with epilepsy

BACKGROUND: The double inversion recovery (DIR) pulse sequence was introduced several years ago and since that it grew important value in clinical neuroimaging. We aimed to assess the added value of double inversion recovery in evaluation of epileptic patients.AIM OF THE WORK:The aim of this study is to assess the added value of double inversion recovery MRI to the basic brain MRI protocols in assessment of patients with epilepsy.PATIENTS AND METHODS:Twenty five patients presented with epilepsy were examined by MRI. Examination was done using 3T MRI machines including conventional MRI epilepsy protocol sequences (T1, T2 & FLAIR) as well as double inversion recovery.RESULTS:In mesial temporal sclerosis, the measured contrast parameters (SNR, CR, CNR & AI) were found to be significantly higher in the DIR than in the FLAIR and T2 sequences.In the cases of focal cortical dysplasia, significantly higher CNR and AI in the DIR than in the T2 and FLAIR. Also DIR showed higher detection of the increased cortical thickness and cortical signal intensity than the T2 and FLAIR sequences.In tuberous sclerosis cases, the DIR showed higher visibility of the lesions than the T2 and FLAIR. Also DIR showed higher ability to detected grey-white matters junction blurring.CONCLUSIONS:Our study concluded that the greatest value of the double inversion recovery sequence is its higher ability in detecting multiple characteristics of the lesions in a one sequence.