Rapid-Sequence Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Chiari I Malformation

2019 Bobby Jones CSF Think Tank

SPRINGHILL SUITES DOWNTOWN - SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 13, 2019

The 2019 Think Tank research meeting brought together thought leaders in the field of Chiari and related disorders, featuring presentations of novel research in Chiari, syringomyelia and more.

Dr. Kristen Yeom, neuro-radiologist at Stanford, describes her work assessing the effectiveness of rapid-sequence brain MRIs in children with Chiari malformation. Rapid-sequence brain MRIs, also called "fast MRIs", are quick images that have been replacing CT scans in assessing some neurological disorders. This type of scan reduces the need for anesthesia, which is commonly used to get a conventional MRI in young children. It may also be more cost-effective-- meaning lower hospital bills!

Dr. Yeom and her colleagues wanted to determine if this faster scanning method provided images as good as conventional MRI when following up with pediatric Chiari patients. The results of this study were great, showing that rapid-sequence MRI did a good job showing progress for Chiari patients pre- and post-operatively and may actually lower overall health care costs in the future for Chiari families!

This presentation was given at the 2019 Bobby Jones CSF Think Tank Meeting in San Diego, CA. (2019)

Revised: 9/2019