Orbital Artifacts on MRI
Khizar Rana1, Valerie Juniat1, Sandy Patel2
1Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, South Australia, Australia.
Purpose:
To describe artifacts on orbital MRI, which led to an incorrect radiology report.
Methods:
Retrospective chart review of patients identified from the orbital databases at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and University of Wisconsin Hospital. Patients who had artifacts on orbital MRI that led to an incorrect radiology report were included. Records were evaluated for age at imaging, gender, MRI sequence, laterality, and location of artifact, radiological characteristics and misdiagnosis, and cause of artifact.
Results:
Data were collected from 7 patients (3 male) who had a median age of 61 years at the time of imaging. Five artifacts resulted from fat-suppression failure with 4 of these cases misdiagnosed as inflammatory changes and 1 misdiagnosed as neoplastic infiltration. The OD was involved in 4 cases. Six cases were in the inferior orbit region.
Conclusions:
Fat-suppression failure artifacts may arise in the inferior orbit region and can be mistaken for inflammatory or neoplastic orbital disease. This may prompt additional investigations such as orbital biopsy. Clinicians should be aware of artifacts which can affect orbital MRI and lead to potential misdiagnosis.
Insights
Orbital MRI artifacts, particularly fat-suppression failure, can mimic orbital disease, leading to misdiagnosis. Awareness of these artifacts is crucial for accurate radiology reporting and avoiding unnecessary procedures.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for diagnosing various orbital pathologies.
- Artifacts in MRI can significantly impact diagnostic accuracy.
- Misinterpretation of artifacts can lead to incorrect diagnoses and unnecessary interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe artifacts on orbital MRI.
- To highlight instances where artifacts led to incorrect radiology reports.
- To inform clinicians about potential diagnostic pitfalls in orbital MRI.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of patients with artifacts on orbital MRI.
- Inclusion criteria: artifacts leading to incorrect radiology reports.
- Data collected: patient demographics, MRI sequences, artifact characteristics, misdiagnoses, and causes.
Main Results:
- Seven patients (3 male, median age 61) were analyzed.
- Five artifacts resulted from fat-suppression failure.
- Four cases were misdiagnosed as inflammatory changes, one as neoplastic infiltration; six artifacts were in the inferior orbit.
Conclusions:
- Fat-suppression failure artifacts in the inferior orbit can mimic inflammatory or neoplastic orbital disease.
- These artifacts can lead to misdiagnosis and potentially unnecessary investigations like orbital biopsy.
- Clinicians must be aware of orbital MRI artifacts to prevent misdiagnosis.
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