Objective To explore the application value of intelligent quick magnetic resonance (IQMR) technology in the preoperative MRI of vascular compressive trigeminal neuralgia (TN).
Methods Imaging data were collected from 36 patients with suspected vascular compressive TN treated at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from July 2025 to December 2025 (6 males and 30 females, age (63.8±9.4) years), and a prospective self-controlled study was conducted. All patients underwent conventional MRI and IQMR imaging. The scanning time, image quality subjective scores and objective evaluation indicators, and diagnostic efficacy of conventional MRI and IQMR imaging were compared. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for the comparison between two groups, and Cohen weighted Kappa test was employed to evaluate the consistency of the subjective scores of image quality among different radiologists.
Results The overall scanning time of IQMR imaging (288 s) had shortened by 35.86% compared with that of conventional MRI (449 s). The scanning times of axial T2 weighted imaging, axial T1 weighted imaging, three-dimensional fast imaging employing steady state acquisition (3D-FIESTA) sequence, and the three-dimensional time of flight (3D-TOF) sequence of IQMR imaging had shortened by 14.29%, 17.50%, 46.58%, and 32.84% (48 s vs. 56 s, 33 s vs. 40 s, 117 s vs. 219 s, 90 s vs. 134 s), respectively, compared with those of conventional MRI. Statistically significant differences in the subjective scores of image quality were observed between conventional MRI and IQMR imaging by two radiologists (Z=3.46, 2.83; both P<0.05). The Kappa value of the subjective scores of image quality for IQMR imaging by two radiologists was 0.898 (95%CI: 0.785–1.010, P<0.05) and that for conventional MRI was 0.900 (95%CI: 0.791–1.010, P<0.05). The consistency of subjective scores between two radiologists was excellent. The nerve signal-to-noise ratio, nerve-cerebrospinal fluid contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and artery-cerebrospinal fluid CNR of the 3D-FIESTA and 3D-TOF sequences in IQMR imaging were significantly higher than those in conventional MRI (Z=3.66–11.11, all P<0.01). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of conventional MRI and IQMR imaging in the diagnosis of neurovascular contact were 100%, 100%, and 97.22%, respectively.
Conclusions IQMR technology can considerably shorten the MRI scanning time and significantly improve the quality of trigeminal nerve imaging, providing precise anatomical evidence for the preoperative evaluation of TN. Therefore, it has important clinical application value.
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