Endoscopic third ventriculocisternostomy: MR assessment of patency with 2-D cine phase-contrast versus T2-weighted fast spin echo technique

Purpose: To determine if fast spin-echo T2 (FSE) is of equal value to flow-sensitive 2D cine phase-contrast (CPC) to assess patency of endoscopic third ventriculocisternostomies (VC), Patients and Methods: We reviewed clinical charts and MR scans of 27 patients who underwent third VC for treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus. Thirty-nine postoperative scans included both sequences and were assessed for the presence or absence of flow-related signal changes. Results: In 28 cases, FSE, CPC, and clinical findings suggested patency, In 1 case, CPC and FSE suggested occlusion, which was confirmed clinically and operatively. In the remaining cases, FSE showed better clinical correlation than did CPC. Conclusion: The assessment of third VC patency with FSE, a sequence available on most clinical scanners without a requirement for special hardware and software, is at least as sensitive in the qualitative assessment of VC function as CPC.