Parallel imaging and diffusion tensor imaging for diffusion-weighted MRI of the liver: preliminary experience in healthy volunteers

Abstract

Objective: Our aim was to determine whether parallel imaging and diffusion tensor imaging affect the measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during diffusion-weighted MRI of the liver in healthy volunteers.

Subjects and methods: We performed breath-hold single-shot echo-planar diffusion-weighted MRI of the liver in 10 healthy volunteers using conventional diffusion, conventional diffusion with parallel imaging, and diffusion tensor with parallel imaging sequences. TE values for the three sequences were 83, 74, and 63, respectively. Liver signal intensity was measured on all sequences and normalized to the SD of the measurement. Hepatic ADC was calculated by acquiring all sequences with b values of 0 and 500 sec/mm(2).

Results: The normalized liver signal intensity was higher on diffusion tensor with parallel imaging and conventional diffusion with parallel imaging than on conventional diffusion without parallel imaging for a b value of 500 sec/mm(2) (13.0 and 10.1 vs 9.1, respectively; p < 0.03) and for a b value of 0 sec/mm(2) (9.0 and 7.6 vs 6.9, respectively; without reaching a significant difference, p = 0.12). Hepatic ADC was not significantly different between sequences (p = 0.16).

Conclusion: Higher signal intensity can be obtained when using parallel imaging and diffusion tensor imaging during diffusion-weighted MRI of the liver without compromising hepatic ADC measurement.