OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of zoomed diffusion-weighted EPI (z-EPI) in the head and neck in a healthy volunteer population and to compare to conventional single-shot EPI (c-EPI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine volunteers were included in this prospective, IRB-approved study. Examinations were performed on a 3 T-MR system equipped with a two-channel, fully-dynamic parallel transmit array. The acquired sequences consisted of a T2w-TSE, a c-EPI, and two z-EPI acquisitions. For quantitative assessment of distortion artefacts, DW images were fused with T2-TSE images. Misregistration of DW images with T2-TSE images was assessed in the cervical spine. For qualitative assessment, two readers ranked c-EPI and z-EPI sequences in terms of susceptibility artefacts, image blur, and overall imaging preference. ADC values of several anatomical regions were calculated and compared between sequences. RESULTS: Mean maximum distortion with the c-EPI was 5.9 mm ± 1.6 mm versus 2.4 mm ± 1 mm (p < 0.05) with z-EPI. Both readers found more blur and susceptibility artefacts in every case with c-EPI. No statistically significant differences in calculated ADC values were observed. CONCLUSION: z-EPI of the head and neck leads to substantial image quality improvements relative to c-EPI due to a reduction in susceptibility artefacts and image blur. KEY POINTS: • Zoomed DWI is feasible in the head and neck. • Image quality improves substantially with zoomed DWI of the neck. • Zoomed DWI exhibits markedly reduced susceptibility artefacts.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of zoomed diffusion-weighted EPI (z-EPI) in the head and neck in a healthy volunteer population and to compare to conventional single-shot EPI (c-EPI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine volunteers were included in this prospective, IRB-approved study. Examinations were performed on a 3 T-MR system equipped with a two-channel, fully-dynamic parallel transmit array. The acquired sequences consisted of a T2w-TSE, a c-EPI, and two z-EPI acquisitions. For quantitative assessment of distortion artefacts, DW images were fused with T2-TSE images. Misregistration of DW images with T2-TSE images was assessed in the cervical spine. For qualitative assessment, two readers ranked c-EPI and z-EPI sequences in terms of susceptibility artefacts, image blur, and overall imaging preference. ADC values of several anatomical regions were calculated and compared between sequences. RESULTS: Mean maximum distortion with the c-EPI was 5.9 mm ± 1.6 mm versus 2.4 mm ± 1 mm (p < 0.05) with z-EPI. Both readers found more blur and susceptibility artefacts in every case with c-EPI. No statistically significant differences in calculated ADC values were observed. CONCLUSION:z-EPI of the head and neck leads to substantial image quality improvements relative to c-EPI due to a reduction in susceptibility artefacts and image blur. KEY POINTS: • Zoomed DWI is feasible in the head and neck. • Image quality improves substantially with zoomed DWI of the neck. • Zoomed DWI exhibits markedly reduced susceptibility artefacts.
Authors: Josef Pfeuffer; Pierre-Francois van de Moortele; Essa Yacoub; Amir Shmuel; Gregor Adriany; Peter Andersen; Hellmut Merkle; Michael Garwood; Kamil Ugurbil; Xiaoping Hu Journal: Neuroimage Date: 2002-09 Impact factor: 6.556
Authors: J Wang; S Takashima; F Takayama; S Kawakami; A Saito; T Matsushita; M Momose; T Ishiyama Journal: Radiology Date: 2001-09 Impact factor: 11.105
Authors: Anwar R Padhani; Guoying Liu; Dow Mu Koh; Thomas L Chenevert; Harriet C Thoeny; Taro Takahara; Andrew Dzik-Jurasz; Brian D Ross; Marc Van Cauteren; David Collins; Dima A Hammoud; Gordon J S Rustin; Bachir Taouli; Peter L Choyke Journal: Neoplasia Date: 2009-02 Impact factor: 5.715
Authors: D Hausmann; N Aksöz; J von Hardenberg; T Martini; N Westhoff; S Buettner; S O Schoenberg; P Riffel Journal: Eur Radiol Date: 2017-08-10 Impact factor: 5.315