Clinical utility for diffusion MRI sequence in emergency and inpatient spine protocols
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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Chronic Spinal Cord Compression
Published on: May 7, 2019
Michael J Hoch1, Joanne Rispoli1, Mary Bruno2
1Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, 660 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States.
Abstract:
Diffusion imaging of the spine has the potential to change clinical management, but is challenging due to the small size of the cord and susceptibility artifacts from adjacent structures. Reduced field-of-view (rFOV) diffusion can improve image quality by decreasing the echo train length. Over the past 2 years, we have acquired a rFOV diffusion sequence for MRI spine protocols on most inpatients and emergency room patients. We provide selected imaging diagnoses to illustrate the utility of including diffusion spine MRI in clinical practice. Our experiences support using diffusion MRI to improve diagnostic certainty and facilitate prompt treatment or clinical management.
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