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BACKGROUND. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by both acute and chronic intrathecal inflammation. A subset of MS lesions show paramagnetic rims on susceptibility-weighted MRI sequences, reflecting iron accumulation in microglia. These para-magnetic rim lesions have been proposed as a marker of compartmentalized smoldering disease. Paramagnetic rim lesions have been shown at 7 T and, more recently, at 3 T. As susceptibility effects are weaker at lower field strength, it remains unclear if paramagnetic rim lesions are visible at 1.5 T. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to compare visualization of paramagnetic rim lesions using susceptibility-weighted imaging at 1.5-T and 3-T MRI in patients with MS. METHODS. This retrospective study included nine patients (five women, four men; mean age, 46.8 years) with MS who underwent both 1.5-T and 3-T MRI using a comparable susceptibility-weighted angiography (SWAN) sequence from the same manufacturer. Lesions measuring greater than 3 mm were annotated. Two reviewers independently assessed images at each field strength in separate sessions and classified the annotated lesions as isointense, diffusely paramagnetic, or paramagnetic rim lesions. Discrepancies were discussed at consensus sessions including a third reviewer. Agreement was assessed using kappa coefficients. RESULTS. Based on the 3-T consensus readings, 115 of 140 annotated lesions (82%) were isointense lesions, 16 (11%) were diffusely paramagnetic lesions, and nine (6%) were paramagnetic rim lesions; based on the 1.5-T consensus readings, 115 (82%) were isointense lesions, 14 (10%) were diffusely paramagnetic lesions, and 11 (8%) were para-magnetic rim lesions. The mean lesion diameter was 11.9 mm for paramagnetic rim lesions versus 6.4 mm for diffusely paramagnetic lesions ( p = .006) and 7.8 mm for iso-intense lesions ( p = .003). Interrater agreement for lesion classification as a paramagnetic rim lesion was substantial at 1.5 T (κ = 0.65) and 3 T (κ = 0.70). Agreement for paramagnetic rim lesions was also substantial between the consensus readings at the two field strengths (κ = 0.79). CONCLUSION. We show comparable identification of paramagnetic rim lesions at 1.5-T and 3-T MRI with substantial interrater agreement at both field strengths and substantial consensus agreement between the field strengths. CLINICAL IMPACT. Paramagnetic rim lesions may be an emerging marker of chronic neuroinflammation in MS. Their visibility at 1.5 T supports the translational potential of paramagnetic rim lesion identification to more widespread clinical settings, where 1.5-T scanners are prevalent.

Objective: A noninvasive method to predict aggressiveness of high-grade meningiomas would be desirable because it would help anticipate tumor recurrence and improve tumor management and the treatment outcomes. The Ki-67 protein is a marker of tumor proliferation, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is related to tumor cellularity. Therefore, we sought to determine whether there is a statistically significant correlation between ADC and Ki-67 values in meningiomas and whether ADC values can differentiate various meningioma subtypes., Materials and Methods: MRI examinations and histopathology of 68 surgically treated meningiomas were retrospectively reviewed. Mean ADC values were derived from diffusion imaging. Correlation coefficients were calculated for mean ADC and Ki-67 proliferation index values using linear regression. An independent unpaired Student t test was used to compare the ADC and Ki-67 proliferation index values from low-grade and more aggressive meningiomas., Results: A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between ADC and Ki-67 proliferation index for low-grade and aggressive meningiomas (r(2) = -0.33, p = 0.0039). ADC values (± SD) of low-grade meningiomas (0.84 ± 0.14 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s) and aggressive (atypical or anaplastic) meningiomas (0.75 ± 0.03 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s) were significantly different (p = 0.0495). Using an ADC cutoff value of 0.70 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s, the sensitivity for diagnosing aggressive meningiomas was 29%, specificity was 94%, positive predictive value was 67%, and negative predictive value was 75%., Conclusion: ADC values correlate inversely with Ki-67 proliferation index and help differentiate low-grade from aggressive meningiomas.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesis that routinely performed diffusion-tensor trace imaging is of sufficient image quality and sensitivity for infarct detection to safely and routinely replace standard diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the clinical setting., Materials and Methods: Both routine DWI and 15-direction diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) with parallel acquisition technique were obtained on all brain MRI studies from a single 1.5-T MRI scanner at a tertiary care referral center over a 1-year period, permitting direct comparison of the two different diffusion studies on the same patients (2537 studies, 365 infarct-positive studies). A subset of images was assessed for image quality and quantitatively for ability to detect brain infarctions. The total set of positive studies was reviewed qualitatively for ability to detect small cerebral infarctions., Results: Fifteen-direction isotropic DWI (DTI trace images) with parallel acquisition technique resulted in consistently higher image quality with less distortion and higher image detail than routine DWI. Small infarcts were better seen, and in 12 cases, infarcts could only be seen on 15-direction isotropic diffusion-weighted images. The additional scanning time required for 15-direction isotropic DWI did not result in significantly increased motion-related reduction in image quality compared with standard DWI., Conclusion: Diffusion-tensor trace images obtained with parallel acquisition technique are of improved image quality and improved sensitivity for detection of small cerebral infarctions relative to standard DWI. If such DTI data are acquired, routine DWI can be omitted.