Findings of retinitis on gadolinium-enhanced turbo fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images

• Published in: Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.) Vol. 18; no. 2; p. 164
• Main Authors: Bahn, M M, Gordon, R E, Wippold, 2nd, F J, Grand, M G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 1998
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Diabetic Retinopathy - diagnosis; Female; Gadolinium; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Reference Values; Retina - pathology; Retinitis - diagnosis; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0275-004X
• DOI: 10.1097/00006982-199818020-00012

This study sought to determine the findings of retinal inflammation on gadolinium-enhanced turbo fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (tFLAIR) images.
Five patients with retinal abnormalities (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome complicated by cytomegalovirus retinitis, two patients; lymphoma complicated by Herpes zoster retinitis, one patient; and diabetic retinopathy, two patients) were identified on routine brain magnetic resonance imaging examinations performed with gadolinium-enhanced tFLAIR; five healthy subjects were retrospectively reviewed for comparison. Retinal signal features and thickness were evaluated comparing gadolinium-enhanced tFLAIR with turbo spin-echo T2-weighted and spin-echo T1-weighted images with and without gadolinium.
Abnormal retinal thickening and hyperintensity were most conspicuous on gadolinium-enhanced tFLAIR images. Unenhanced T1-weighted images failed to demonstrate any abnormalities. In the enhanced tFLAIR and T1-weighted images, retinal thickness greater than 1.2 mm was abnormal. Abnormal retinal contour and signal was most apparent on the tFLAIR images.
Of the sequences studied, gadolinium-enhanced tFLAIR images were found to be the best in identifying incidental retinitis and diabetic retinopathy discovered on routine brain magnetic resonance imaging examinations.