Do You Have FLAIR?

The FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) sequence is not commonly used for the evaluation of the sellar region. It is traditionally performed to characterize arachnoid cysts or, for instance, to demonstrate a vasogenic edema of the optic tract. Contrast-enhanced three-dimensional T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (CE 3D T2 FLAIR) has recently emerged as a useful sequence to evaluate several conditions of the pituitary region. This sequence has the advantages to suppress flow artifacts from the CSF, to provide ultrathin sections in any plane, and to minimize partial volume effect. It is more highly sensitive to low gadolinium concentrations and less sensitive to high gadolinium concentrations than are T1-weighted sequences. This unique particularity may be used for the diagnosis of RCCs. Delayed CE 3D FLAIR has also been proposed for the research of microcorticotropinomas.