Premium
Fast T2*‐weighted MRI of the prostate at 3 tesla
Author(s) -
Hardman Rulon L.,
ElMerhi Fadi,
Jung Adam J.,
Ware Steve,
Thompson Ian M.,
Friel Harry T.,
Peng Qi
Publication year - 2011
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.22496
Subject(s) - fast spin echo , artifact (error) , nuclear medicine , pulse sequence , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , t2 weighted , susceptibility weighted imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance , image quality , spiral (railway) , echo time , prostate , radiology , physics , computer science , mathematics , artificial intelligence , cancer , mathematical analysis , image (mathematics)
Purpose: To describe a rapid T2*‐weighted (T2*W), three‐dimensional (3D) echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence and its application in mapping local magnetic susceptibility variations in 3 Tesla (T) prostate MRI. To compare the sensitivity of T2*W EPI with routinely used T1‐weighted turbo‐spin echo sequence (T1W TSE) in detecting hemorrhage and the implications on sequences sensitive to field inhomogeneities such as MR spectroscopy (MRS). Materials and Methods: B 0 susceptibility weighted mapping was performed using a 3D EPI sequence featuring a 2D spatial excitation pulse with gradients of spiral k ‐space trajectory. A series of 11 subjects were imaged using 3T MRI and combination endorectal (ER) and six‐channel phased array cardiac coils. T1W TSE and T2*W EPI sequences were analyzed quantitatively for hemorrhage contrast. Point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS MRS) was performed and data quality was analyzed. Results: Two types of susceptibility variation were identified: hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic T2*W‐positive areas. Post‐biopsy hemorrhage lesions showed on average five times greater contrast on the T2*W images than T1W TSE images. Six nonhemorrhage regions of severe susceptibility artifact were apparent on the T2*W images that were not seen on standard T1W or T2W images. All nonhemorrhagic susceptibility artifact regions demonstrated compromised spectral quality on 3D MRS. Conclusion: The fast T2*W EPI sequence identifies hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic areas of susceptibility variation that may be helpful in prostate MRI planning at 3.0T. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;33:902–907. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.