Lei Jiang1, Yiming Zhou2, Cheng Zhou1, Min Chen3, Yongming Dai4, Yuan Fu1, Xuna Zhao4. 1. Radiology Department, Beijing Hospital, the Fifth Affiliated College of Peking University, Beijing, China. 2. Radiology Department, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, the Affiliated College of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. 3. Radiology Department, Beijing Hospital, the Fifth Affiliated College of Peking University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: chenmin62@yahoo.com. 4. Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of dual-source parallel radiofrequency (RF) excitation on clinical breast MR images. METHODS: A 3T MR system with both dual-source and conventional single-source RF excitations was used to examine 22 patients. Axial TSE-T2WI with fat suppression, TSE-T1WI without fat suppression, THRIVE (3D field echo) and DWI (SE-EPI) were obtained by using both excitation techniques. Image homogeneity, image contrast and lesion conspicuity were measured or independently scored by two radiologists and were compared by paired-sample t test or Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: Both excitations revealed 24 lesions. For SE sequences using dual-source mode, image homogeneity was improved (P=0.00), scan time was reduced, and ghost artifacts on DWI were significantly reduced (P=0.00). However, image contrast was not increased and lesion conspicuity had no significant difference between two modes, except DWI on which lesion conspicuity was significantly improved (P=0.00), due to less ghost artifacts. For field-echo sequence, image homogeneity, acquisition time, image contrast and lesion conspicuity had no significant difference between the two modes. CONCLUSIONS: Dual-source parallel RF transmission has some added value for improving breast image quality. However, its value is limited in terms of improving lesion detection and characterization.
PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of dual-source parallel radiofrequency (RF) excitation on clinical breast MR images. METHODS:A 3T MR system with both dual-source and conventional single-source RF excitations was used to examine 22 patients. Axial TSE-T2WI with fat suppression, TSE-T1WI without fat suppression, THRIVE (3D field echo) and DWI (SE-EPI) were obtained by using both excitation techniques. Image homogeneity, image contrast and lesion conspicuity were measured or independently scored by two radiologists and were compared by paired-sample t test or Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: Both excitations revealed 24 lesions. For SE sequences using dual-source mode, image homogeneity was improved (P=0.00), scan time was reduced, and ghost artifacts on DWI were significantly reduced (P=0.00). However, image contrast was not increased and lesion conspicuity had no significant difference between two modes, except DWI on which lesion conspicuity was significantly improved (P=0.00), due to less ghost artifacts. For field-echo sequence, image homogeneity, acquisition time, image contrast and lesion conspicuity had no significant difference between the two modes. CONCLUSIONS: Dual-source parallel RF transmission has some added value for improving breast image quality. However, its value is limited in terms of improving lesion detection and characterization.
Authors: Hatim Chafi; Saba N Elias; Huyen T Nguyen; Harry T Friel; Michael V Knopp; BeiBei Guo; Steven B Heymsfield; Guang Jia Journal: J Magn Reson Imaging Date: 2015-06-09 Impact factor: 4.813