Impact of 3 Tesla MRI on interobserver agreement in clinically isolated syndrome : A MAGNIMS multicentre study

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This research has been supported by a programme grant (14-358e) from the Dutch MS Research Foundation (Voorschoten, The Netherlands). The study in London was supported by the National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.Background: Compared to 1.5 T, 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases signal-to-noise ratio leading to improved image quality. However, its clinical relevance in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis remains uncertain. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate how 3 T MRI affects the agreement between raters on lesion detection and diagnosis. Methods: We selected 30 patients and 10 healthy controls from our ongoing prospective multicentre cohort. All subjects received baseline 1.5 and 3 T brain and spinal cord MRI. Patients also received follow-up brain MRI at 3-6 months. Four experienced neuroradiologists and four less-experienced raters scored the number of lesions per anatomical region and determined dissemination in space and time (McDonald 2010). Results: In controls, the mean number of lesions per rater was 0.16 at 1.5 T and 0.38 at 3 T (p = 0.005). For patients, this was 4.18 and 4.40, respectively (p = 0.657). Inter-rater agreement on involvement per anatomical region and dissemination in space and time was moderate to good for both field strengths. 3 T slightly improved agreement between experienced raters, but slightly decreased agreement between less-experienced raters. Conclusion: Overall, the interobserver agreement was moderate to good. 3 T appears to improve the reading for experienced readers, underlining the benefit of additional training

FLAIR* to visualize veins in white matter lesions: A new tool for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis?

Royal College of Radiologists (pump priming grant to RJPS). MEM is partly funded (20%) by the Barts and the London National Institute for Health Research Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit. Additional study support provided by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, USA

Three-tesla mri does not improve the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. a multicenter study

OBJECTIVE: In the work-up of patients presenting with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), 3T MRI might offer a higher lesion detection than 1.5T, but it remains unclear whether this affects the fulfilment of the diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: We recruited 66 patients with CIS within 6 months from symptom onset and 26 healthy controls in 6 MS centers. All participants underwent 1.5T and 3T brain and spinal cord MRI at baseline according to local optimized protocols and the MAGNIMS guidelines. Patients who had not converted to MS during follow-up received repeat brain MRI at 3-6 months and 12-15 months. The number of lesions per anatomical region was scored by 3 raters in consensus. Criteria for dissemination in space (DIS) and dissemination in time (DIT) were determined according to the 2017 revisions of the McDonald criteria. RESULTS: Three-Tesla MRI detected 15% more T2 brain lesions compared to 1.5T (p < 0.001), which was driven by an increase in baseline detection of periventricular (12%, p = 0.015), (juxta)cortical (21%, p = 0.005), and deep white matter lesions (21%, p < 0.001). The detection rate of spinal cord lesions and gadolinium-enhancing lesions did not differ between field strengths. Three-Tesla MRI did not lead to a higher number of patients fulfilling the criteria for DIS or DIT, or subsequent diagnosis of MS, at any of the 3 time points. CONCLUSION: Scanning at 3T does not influence the diagnosis of MS according to McDonald diagnostic criteria

Impact of 3 Tesla MRI on interobserver agreement in clinically isolated syndrome: A MAGNIMS multicentre study

Background: Compared to 1.5 T, 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases signal-to-noise ratio leading to improved image quality. However, its clinical relevance in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis remains uncertain. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate how 3 T MRI affects the agreement between raters on lesion detection and diagnosis. Methods: We selected 30 patients and 10 healthy controls from our ongoing prospective multicentre cohort. All subjects received baseline 1.5 and 3 T brain and spinal cord MRI. Patients also received follow-up brain MRI at 3–6 months. Four experienced neuroradiologists and four less-experienced raters scored the number of lesions per anatomical region and determined dissemination in space and time (McDonald 2010). Results: In controls, the mean number of lesions per rater was 0.16 at 1.5 T and 0.38 at 3 T (p = 0.005). For patients, this was 4.18 and 4.40, respectively (p = 0.657). Inter-rater agreement on involvement per anatomical region and dissemination in space and time was moderate to good for both field strengths. 3 T slightly improved agreement between experienced raters, but slightly decreased agreement between less-experienced raters. Conclusion: Overall, the interobserver agreement was moderate to good. 3 T appears to improve the reading for experienced readers, underlining the benefit of additional training

Impact of 3 Tesla MRI on interobserver agreement in clinically isolated syndrome: A MAGNIMS multicentre study

Background: Compared to 1.5 T, 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases signal-to-noise ratio leading to improved image quality. However, its clinical relevance in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis remains uncertain. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate how 3 T MRI affects the agreement between raters on lesion detection and diagnosis. Methods: We selected 30 patients and 10 healthy controls from our ongoing prospective multicentre cohort. All subjects received baseline 1.5 and 3 T brain and spinal cord MRI. Patients also received follow-up brain MRI at 3–6months. Four experienced neuroradiologists and four less-experienced raters scored the number of lesions per anatomical region and determined dissemination in space and time (McDonald 2010). Results: In controls, the mean number of lesions per rater was 0.16 at 1.5T and 0.38 at 3T (p=0.005). For patients, this was 4.18 and 4.40, respectively (p=0.657). Inter-rater agreement on involvement per anatomical region and dissemination in space and time was moderate to good for both field strengths. 3T slightly improved agreement between experienced raters, but slightly decreased agreement between less-experienced raters. Conclusion: Overall, the interobserver agreement was moderate to good. 3T appears to improve the reading for experienced readers, underlining the benefit of additional training

Impact of 3 Tesla MRI on interobserver agreement in clinically isolated syndrome: A MAGNIMS multicentre study

Background: Compared to 1.5 T, 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases signal-to-noise ratio leading to improved image quality. However, its clinical relevance in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis remains uncertain. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate how 3 T MRI affects the agreement between raters on lesion detection and diagnosis. Methods: We selected 30 patients and 10 healthy controls from our ongoing prospective multicentre cohort. All subjects received baseline 1.5 and 3 T brain and spinal cord MRI. Patients also received follow-up brain MRI at 3–6months. Four experienced neuroradiologists and four less-experienced raters scored the number of lesions per anatomical region and determined dissemination in space and time (McDonald 2010). Results: In controls, the mean number of lesions per rater was 0.16 at 1.5T and 0.38 at 3T (p=0.005). For patients, this was 4.18 and 4.40, respectively (p=0.657). Inter-rater agreement on involvement per anatomical region and dissemination in space and time was moderate to good for both field strengths. 3T slightly improved agreement between experienced raters, but slightly decreased agreement between less-experienced raters. Conclusion: Overall, the interobserver agreement was moderate to good. 3T appears to improve the reading for experienced readers, underlining the benefit of additional training