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• Technical Article •
A prospective study on the evaluation of white matter hyperintensities based on T2W-FLAIR sequence by 5.0 T MRI
CHENG Xiaoshan  CAO Li  ZHENG Xinde  WANG Rui  CHEN Caizhong  ZENG Mengsu  YANG Zhigang  MIAO Xiyin 

Cite this article as: CHENG X S, CAO L, ZHENG X D, et al. A prospective study on the evaluation of white matter hyperintensities based on T2W-FLAIR sequence by 5.0 T MRI[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(6): 116-121. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.06.017.


[Abstract] Objective To investigate the image quality and diagnostic value of 5.0 T T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T2W-FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting white matter hyperintensities (WMH).Materials and Methods Prospectively included 73 patients with suspected or confirmed cerebral ischemic events who underwent 5.0 T and 3.0 T cranial MRI from November 2023 to September 2024. Image quality of T2W-FLAIR sequences at both field strengths was independently evaluated by experienced radiologists using a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative assessments of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were performed, and WMH areas and number were compared in identical brain regions within the same patient. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and paired chi-square test.Results Compared with 3.0 T, the 5.0 T T2W-FLAIR sequence showed higher image quality scores (5.0 vs. 4.5), increased SNR (2.44 vs. 1.97), and improved CNR (1.43 vs. 0.97), with all differences reaching statistical significance. Additionally, 5.0 T T2W-FLAIR revealed larger WMH areas (P < 0.001) and a greater number of lesions (P < 0.001) in the same brain regions compared to 3.0 T, particularly showing marked advantages in identifying micro-lesions.Conclusions The 5.0 T T2W-FLAIR sequence provides improved visualization of WMH compared to 3.0 T, especially in image clarity and micro-lesion detection. This technology holds significant clinical value for early diagnosis and accurate assessment of small ischemic brain lesions.
[Keywords] white matter hyperintensities；ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging；ischemic stroke；fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequence；signal-to-noise ratio

CHENG Xiaoshan1, 2   CAO Li3   ZHENG Xinde3   WANG Rui4   CHEN Caizhong3   ZENG Mengsu3   YANG Zhigang1, 2*   MIAO Xiyin3*  

1 Oriental Pan-Vascular Devices Innovation College, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China

2 Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

3 Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

4 Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201807, China

Corresponding author: MIAO X Y, E-mail: miao.xiyin@zs-hospital.sh.cn YANG Z G, E-mail: yang.zhigang1@zs-hospital.sh.cn

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-03-26
Accepted  2025-06-10
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.06.017
Cite this article as: CHENG X S, CAO L, ZHENG X D, et al. A prospective study on the evaluation of white matter hyperintensities based on T2W-FLAIR sequence by 5.0 T MRI[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(6): 116-121. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.06.017.

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