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Phased array breath‐hold versus non‐breath‐hold MR imaging of focal liver lesions: A prospective comparative study
Author(s) -
Yamashita Yasuyuki,
Yamamoto Hiroaki,
Namimoto Tomohiro,
Abe Yasuko,
Takahashi Mutsumasa
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.1880070206
Subject(s) - medicine , t2 weighted , image quality , artifact (error) , fast spin echo , nuclear medicine , sequence (biology) , contrast to noise ratio , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics) , computer science , genetics , biology
This study was undertaken to determine whether phased array breath‐hold T1‐ and T2‐weighted sequences can replace non‐breath‐hold spin echo (SE) sequences in the imaging of focal liver lesions by comparing overall image quality, liver‐lesion contrast, and artifact. Both breath‐hold and non‐breath‐hold T1‐weighted and T2‐weighted imagings of focal liver lesions were prospectively compared in 120 patients with suspected focal liver lesions imaged at 1.5 T with use of a body phased array multicoil. Breath‐hold images were acquired with T1‐weighted fast low‐angle shot (FLASH) and T2‐weighted turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences, and non‐breath‐hold images were made with conventional T1‐ and T2‐weighted SE sequences. Qualitative image analysis was done by three blinded readers, and quantitative analysis was done. The highest signal‐to‐noise ratios were obtained with breath‐hold T1‐weighted FLASH sequence. The signal‐to‐noise ratios of breath‐hold T2‐weighted TSE sequence were slightly inferior to those of non‐breath‐hold SE sequence. Both T1‐weighted and T2‐weighted breath‐hold sequences had less image artifact. Overall image quality of breath‐hold sequences was better than that of non‐breath‐hold sequences for both T1‐ and T2‐weighted sequences ( P < .01). The tissue contrast of T1‐weighted FLASH sequence was superior to that of SE sequence ( P < .01). On T2‐weighted imaging, tissue contrast of solid lesions was better on conventional SE sequence than that on breath‐hold TSE sequence ( P < .01). Respiratory ghost artifact was less prominent on T1‐weighted FLASH sequence, although this artifact was occasionally seen on breath‐hold T2‐weighted TSE sequence. In a state‐of‐art MR unit with use of a phased array multicoil, conventional T1‐weighted can be replaced by breath‐hold sequences. On T2‐weighted imaging, because solid tumor‐liver contrast on breath‐hold TSE imaging is inferior to that on non‐breath‐hold SE image, breath‐hold imaging may not replace conventional non‐breath‐hold T2‐weighted SE sequence.