What does FLAIR mean on a brain MRI?

What does FLAIR mean on a brain MRI?

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) is an advanced magnetic resonance imaging sequence that reveals tissue T2 prolongation with cerebrospinal fluid suppression, allowing detection of superficial brain lesions.

Is FLAIR T1 or T2-weighted?

FLAIR MRI is a heavily T2-weighted technique that dampens ventricular CSF signal. This causes the highest signals on the sequence are from certain brain parenchymal abnormalities, such as MS lesions, while the CSF appears black.

Does FLAIR MRI use contrast?

In summary, FLAIR* is an MR imaging contrast technique that combines the advantages of cerebrospinal fluid–suppressed T2-weighted and T2*-weighted contrast to yield images that provide high contrast for WM lesions and veins in the brain and that are well suited to routine imaging of WM diseases, such as MS, in a …

What is a FLAIR abnormality of the brain?

FLAIR MRI is a heavily T2-weighted technique that dampens the ventricular (ie, free-water) CSF signal. Thus, the highest signals on the sequence are from certain brain parenchymal abnormalities, such as MS lesions, while the CSF appears black.

What does a T2 flair mean?

T2/FLAIR. T2/FLAIR images show the total amount of scar from MS from its onset. The pictures show both old and new inflammation. T2/FLAIR lesions can directly account for some symptoms. For example, a brainstem lesion can cause room spinning sensations and balance problems.

What is T2 flair?

What is abnormal intracranial enhancement?

Abstract. The intravascular enhancement (IVE) sign, also known as the “arterial enhancement sign”, is an abnormal finding in the brain on contrast-enhanced MRI studies. IVE has been described in arterial cerebrovascular disorders, most commonly in acute or subacute arterial ischemic infarcts.

How is Flair used to visualize white matter?

By using a T2*-weighted segmented echo-planar imaging (segEPI) sequence in healthy brains at 7.0 T, T2*-weighted images with high anatomic fidelity and a considerable gain in volume coverage relative to conventional T2*-weighted gradient-echo images were obtainable without a sacrifice of acquisition time.

How is the flair sequence similar to a T2-weighted image?

The Flair sequence is similar to a T2-weighted image except that the TE and TR times are very long. By doing so, abnormalities remain bright but normal CSF fluid is attenuated and made dark. This sequence is very sensitive to pathology and makes the differentiation between CSF and an abnormality much easier.

What does a FLAIR MRI image look like?

FLAIR is another variation of the inversion recovery sequence. MRI image appearance The easiest way to identify FLAIR images is to look for CSF filled spaces and lesions or other pathological processes in the brain or spinal cord. Tissues and their FLAIR appearance

What’s the difference between CSF and T2 weighted MRI?

CSF is dark on T1-weighted imaging and bright on T2-weighted imaging. A third commonly used sequence is the Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (Flair). The Flair sequence is similar to a T2-weighted image except that the TE and TR times are very long.