Comparison of a Whole-Brain Contrast-Enhanced 3D TSE T1WI versus Orbits Contrast-Enhanced 2D Coronal T1WI at 3T MRI for the Detection of Optic Nerve Enhancement in Patients with Acute Loss of Visual Acuity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging is the technique of choice for patients presenting with acute loss of visual acuity with no obvious ophthalmologic cause. The goal of our study was to compare orbits contrast-enhanced 2D coronal T1WI with a whole-brain contrast-enhanced 3D (WBCE-3D) TSE T1WI at 3T for the detection of optic nerve enhancement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This institutional review board-approved retrospective single-center study included patients presenting with acute loss of vision who underwent 3T MR imaging from November 2014 to February 2020. Two radiologists, blinded to all data, individually assessed the presence of enhancement of the optic nerve on orbits contrast-enhanced 2D T1WI and WBCE-3D T1WI separately and in random order. A McNemar test and a Cohen κ method were used for comparing the 2 MR imaging sequences. RESULTS: One thousand twenty-three patients (638 women and 385 men; mean age, 42 [SD, 18.3] years) were included. There was a strong concordance between WBCE-3D T1WI and orbits contrast-enhanced 2D T1WI when detecting enhancement of the optic nerve: κ = 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90). WBCE-3D T1WI was significantly more likely to detect canalicular enhancement compared with orbits contrast-enhanced 2D T1WI: 178/1023 (17.4%) versus 138/1023 (13.5%) (P < .001) and 108/1023 (10.6%) versus 90/1023 (8.8%) (P = .04), respectively. The WBCE-3D T1WI sequence detected 27/1023 (3%) instances of optic disc enhancement versus 0/1023 (0%) on orbits contrast-enhanced 2D T1WI. There were significantly fewer severe artifacts on WBCE-3D T1WI compared with orbits contrast-enhanced 2D T1WI: 68/1023 (6.6%) versus 101/1023 (9.8%) (P < .001). The median reader-reported confidence was significantly higher with coronal T1WI compared with 3D TSE T1WI: 5 (95% CI, 4-5) versus 3 (95% CI, 1-4; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that there was a strong concordance between WBCE-3D T1WI and orbits contrast-enhanced 2D T1WI when detecting enhancement of the optic nerve in patients with acute loss of visual acuity with no obvious ophthalmologic cause. WBCE-3D T1WI demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing optic neuritis, particularly in cases involving the canalicular segments.

High diagnostic accuracy of T2FLAIR at 3 T in the detection of optic nerve head edema in acute optic neuritis.

OBJECTIVES: Optic nerve head edema (ONHE) detected by fundoscopy is observed in one-third of patients presenting optic neuritis (ON). While ONHE is an important semiological feature, the correlation between ONHE and optic nerve head MRI abnormalities (ONHMA), sometimes called "optic nerve head swelling," remains unknown. Our study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI sequence in detecting ONHE in patients with acute ON. METHODS: In the present single-center study, data were extracted from two prospective cohort studies that consecutively included adults with a first episode of acute ON treated between 2015 and 2020. Two experienced readers blinded to study data independently analyzed imaging. A senior neuroradiologist resolved any discrepancies. The primary judgment criterion of ONHMA was assessed as optic nerve head high signal intensity on gadolinium-enhanced T2FLAIR MRI sequence. Its diagnostic accuracy was evaluated with both the gold standard of ONHE on fundus photography (FP) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickening on optic coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were included, providing 110 affected and 94 unaffected optic nerves. Agreement was high between the different modalities: 92% between MRI and FP (k = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67-0.88) and 93% between MRI and OCT (k = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67-0.87). MRI sensitivity was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.70-0.93) and specificity was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89-0.97) when compared with the FP. CONCLUSION: Optic nerve head high T2FLAIR signal intensity corresponds indeed to the optic nerve head edema diagnosed by the ophthalmologists. MRI is a sensitive tool for detecting ONHE in patients presenting acute ON. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: In patients with optic neuritis the high T2FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) signal intensity of the optic nerve head corresponds indeed to optic nerve head edema, which is a useful feature in optic neuritis etiological evaluation and treatment. KEY POINTS: Optic nerve head edema is a prominent clinical feature of acute optic neuritis and is usually diagnosed during dilated or non-dilated eye fundus examination. Agreement was high between magnetic resonance imaging, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography. Optic nerve head high T2 fluid attenuation inversion recovery signal intensity is a promising detection tool for optic nerve head edema in patients presenting acute optic neuritis.

Systemic inflammatory disorders in patients admitted for aseptic meningitis.

Acute meningitis can be the first manifestation of an underlying systemic inflammatory disorder (SID). In the current study, we aimed to identify clinical indicators for SIDs in patients admitted for acute aseptic meningitis. All patients hospitalised for acute aseptic meningitis over a 4-year period in a department of internal medicine were included retrospectively. Patients with neoplastic meningitis were excluded. Extraneurological signs were recorded using a systematic panel. Systemic inflammatory disorder diagnosis was made according to current international criteria. Forty-three (average age 46 years [range 19-82 years], 60% females) consecutive patients were analysed retrospectively. Of these, 23 patients had an SID (mostly sarcoidosis and Behçet's disease). -Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the probability of an SID was 93.7% in patients with both neurological and extraneurological signs, but 14.9% in patients with neither neurological nor extraneurological signs. In conclusion, clinical sorting according to both neurological and extraneurological signs could help to identify patients with acute aseptic meningitis caused by an SID.