3 TESLA MRI IN NEUROIMAGING DO YOU THINK SIZE MATTERS?
By Sumer K Sethi, MD and Rishu Sangal, MD, Teleradiology Providers (A unit of Prime Telerad Providers (p) Ltd), India
HISTORY The MRI technology first became available in clinical practice in the 1970s, most of which operated at a strength of 0.6T. Imaging systems with a strength of 1.5T are now considered the clinical gold standard for current MRI modalities. In 1998, the US FDA gave marketing clearance for scanners operating at strengths of up to 4T, and in 2002, the agency approved some 3T scanners for the brain and the whole body, particularly at academic and research centres. Four years ago, more than 100 of these machines had been installed, and it was suggested that 3T was likely to become the eventual standard in MRI.
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to hemorrhage. This high field strength magnet is ‘magnate’ in terms of delineation of smaller structures as in brain and spine. However, 3 tesla MRI is not a simple
WHY 3 TESLA IS THE NEW GOLD STANDARD FOR BRAIN AND SPINE 3 tesla MR imaging with its increased SNR has a superb role in MR angiography, diffusion or perfusion studies and spectroscopy. 3T with the extra signal makes it able to cut thinner or scan with higher resolution. Quality of the brain MRI studies at 3T is exceptional with a smooth depiction of the grey and white matter junction and added sensitivity
plug-in for 1.5 tesla MRI. A radiologist needs to adjust with few modifications as well, such as longer T1 weighted imaging, modification in doses of contrast medium, and not to misinterpret data because of high background suppression with more black and white images. Longer T1 of tissues and higher
net SNR at 3 tesla lead to increase in conspicuity of enhancement, as relaxivity property of gadolinium stays same for 1.5 tesla as well as 3 tesla machine. As the contrast enhancement almost approaches double, we reduce the contrast dose to
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