What type of imaging is specifically mentioned as better for showing demyelinating lesions than standard T2 imaging?

FLAIR imaging, or Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery imaging, is specifically designed to suppress the signal from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This makes it particularly effective in highlighting demyelinating lesions that may be obscured in standard T2-weighted imaging, where CSF can produce a high signal that masks the lesions of interest.

In patients with multiple sclerosis, demyelinating lesions tend to be located near the edges of the ventricles or within the periventricular white matter; these regions can be difficult to visualize properly using standard T2 imaging due to the overwhelming brightness of the CSF. FLAIR imaging mitigates this by removing the CSF signal, allowing for clearer visualization of the lesions. This makes it a crucial tool in the accurate diagnosis and monitoring of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.