Magnetic resonance imaging of the upper abdomen using a free-breathing T2-weighted turbo spin echo sequence with navigator triggered prospective acquisition correction

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate a free-breathing navigator triggered T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence with prospective acquisition correction (T2w-PACE-TSE) for MRI of the upper abdomen in comparison to a conventional T2-weighted TSE (T2w-CTSE), a single-shot TSE (T2w-HASTE), and a T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence (T1w-FLASH).

Materials and methods: A total of 40 consecutive patients were examined at 1.5 T using free-breathing T2w-PACE-TSE, free-breathing T2w-CTSE, and breath-hold T2w-HASTE and T1w-FLASH acquisition. Images were evaluated qualitatively by three radiologists regarding motion artifacts, liver-spleen contrast, depiction of intrahepatic vessels, the pancreas and the adrenal glands, and overall image quality on a four-point scale. Quantitative analysis of the liver-spleen contrast was performed.

Results: Depiction and sharpness of intrahepatic vessels were rated significantly better (P < 0.01) using T2w-PACE-TSE compared to T2w-CTSE and T2w-HASTE sequences. Significantly higher contrast values were measured for T2w-PACE-TSE images compared to T2w-CTSE, T2w-HASTE, and T1w-FLASH images (P < 0.01). Mean examination time of the T2w-PACE-TSE was 7.91 minutes, acquisition time of the T2w-CTSE sequence was 4.52 minutes.

Conclusion: Prospective acquisition correction is an efficient method for reducing respiratory movement artifacts in T2w-TSE imaging of the upper abdomen. Compared to T2w-CTSE and T2w-HASTE sequences recognition of anatomical details and contrast can be significantly improved.