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. 2023 Nov 6:88:e506-e511.
doi: 10.5114/pjr.2023.132877. eCollection 2023.

Added value of 3D THRIVE (T1-weighted high-resolution isotropic volume examination) MRI pulse sequence in the detection of bony erosions of sacroiliac joints in patients of spondyloarthritis

Ahmed Ibrahim Tawfik  1 , Mohamed M Harraz  1 , Khaled Abdel Baky  2 , Walaa Mahmoud  1
Affiliations

Added value of 3D THRIVE (T1-weighted high-resolution isotropic volume examination) MRI pulse sequence in the detection of bony erosions of sacroiliac joints in patients of spondyloarthritis

Ahmed Ibrahim Tawfik et al. Pol J Radiol. .

Abstract

Purpose: Early depiction of bony erosions in sacroiliac (SI) joints increases the diagnostic accuracy of spondyloarthritis. The new 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence THRIVE (T1-weighted high-resolution isotropic volume examination) can depict cartilage erosions in sacroiliac joints. The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic capacity of the new MRI sequence 3D THRIVE (T1-weighted high-resolution isotropic volume examination) with the routinely used T1 TSE pulse sequence in the depiction of structural erosions in sacroiliac joints by using MRI sequence zero echo time (zero ET) as a reference standard.

Material and methods: Seventy five adult patients were included in this study. They underwent MRI sacroiliac joints examination using routine T1 TSE and STIR pulse sequences with the addition of the new 3D THRIVE and zero echo time (zero ET) sequences. Images of T1 TSE, 3D THRIVE, and zero ET sequences were evaluated by 2 radiolo-gists separately for the detection of sacroiliac joints erosions, then a comparison between T1 TSE and 3D THRIVE sequences was done using a CT-like image MRI sequence zero ET as a reference standard. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for each sequence were calculated by the 2 readers.

Results: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 3D THRIVE were higher than those of T1 TSE for reader 1 (sensitivity: 94.5% vs. 86.2%; specificity: 93.4% vs. 85.1%; and accuracy 95.2% vs. 88.5%) and for reader 2 (sensitivity: 93.3% vs. 79.9%; specificity: 94.7% vs. 86.2%; and accuracy 95.8% vs. 82.1%).

Conclusions: Using CT-like image MRI sequence zero ET as the reference standard, 3D THRIVE pulse sequencing of the sacroiliac joints has much better diagnostic value in the depiction of bony erosions in patients suspected having spondyloarthritis as compared to the routinely used T1 TSE sequence.

Keywords: T1 turbo spin echo; T1-weighted high-resolution isotropic volume examination; magnetic resonance imaging; sacroiliac joints.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A 39-year-old male patient with chronic low back pain for 2 years with MRI of the sacroiliac joints, each row represents T1 TSE, 3D THRIVE, and zero ET, respectively. First row – coronal images, second row – their magnified view, third row – axial images, and fourth row – their magnified view. There are areas of subchondral erosions seen in iliac and sacral bones of left sacroiliac joint. These erosions are not clearly seen in T1 TSE and are well depicted in 3D THRIVE images (open arrow) and in zero ET (CT-like images) (arrows)
Figure 2
Figure 2
A 47-year-old female patient with chronic low back pain for 8 months with MRI of the sacroiliac joints. Each row represents T1 TSE, 3D THRIVE, and zero ET, respectively. First row – coronal images, second row – their magnified view. There are areas of subchondral erosions seen in iliac and sacral bones of left sacroiliac joint. These erosions are not clearly seen in T1 TSE and are well depicted in 3D THRIVE images (open arrow) and in zero ET (CT-like images) (arrows)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of sequences by two readers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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