PURPOSE: To evaluate the image quality, robustness, and diagnostic performance of submillimeter in-plane resolution diffusion-weighted ( DW diffusion-weighted ) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 7 T in the assessment of breast tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and written informed consent of five volunteers and 33 patients with 33 breast lesions (31 with histopathologic confirmation, two with confirmation at follow-up) were obtained. Image quality optimization and comparisons of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging ( rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging ) and single-shot echo-planar imaging ( ss-EPI single-shot echo-planar imaging ) with or without parallel imaging were performed in volunteers. In all patients, bilateral DW diffusion-weighted imaging was performed in 3 minutes 35 seconds by using combined rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging and parallel imaging with 0.9 × 0.9 mm in-plane resolution with a 7-T whole-body MR imager. Image quality, lesion conspicuity, and image properties (ie, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio) were assessed. Regions of interest were drawn in the largest lesion in each patient (23 malignant lesions, 10 benign lesions) by two independent readers. Apparent diffusion coefficient ( ADC apparent diffusion coefficient ) values were used to differentiate between benign and malignant breast tumors. RESULTS: DW diffusion-weighted imaging with combined parallel imaging and rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging reduced artifacts (ie, blurring and geometric distortions) by a calculated factor of seven when compared with DW diffusion-weighted imaging with ss-EPI single-shot echo-planar imaging , and it improved image quality from a score of 1 of 10 to a score of 8 of 10. The rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging sequence with a b value of 0 sec/mm(2) yielded high-spatial-resolution T2-weighted MR images. An ADC apparent diffusion coefficient threshold of 1.275 × 10(-3) mm(2)/sec enabled differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions, with sensitivity and specificity of 96% and 100%, respectively, for both independent readers. CONCLUSION: At 7 T, one DW diffusion-weighted imaging examination of less than 4 minutes yielded high-quality ADC apparent diffusion coefficient maps and high-spatial-resolution T2-weighted MR images that were used to assess tumor and breast morphology. ADC apparent diffusion coefficient quantification alone enabled excellent differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the image quality, robustness, and diagnostic performance of submillimeter in-plane resolution diffusion-weighted ( DW diffusion-weighted ) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 7 T in the assessment of breast tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and written informed consent of five volunteers and 33 patients with 33 breast lesions (31 with histopathologic confirmation, two with confirmation at follow-up) were obtained. Image quality optimization and comparisons of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging ( rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging ) and single-shot echo-planar imaging ( ss-EPI single-shot echo-planar imaging ) with or without parallel imaging were performed in volunteers. In all patients, bilateral DW diffusion-weighted imaging was performed in 3 minutes 35 seconds by using combined rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging and parallel imaging with 0.9 × 0.9 mm in-plane resolution with a 7-T whole-body MR imager. Image quality, lesion conspicuity, and image properties (ie, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio) were assessed. Regions of interest were drawn in the largest lesion in each patient (23 malignant lesions, 10 benign lesions) by two independent readers. Apparent diffusion coefficient ( ADC apparent diffusion coefficient ) values were used to differentiate between benign and malignant breast tumors. RESULTS: DW diffusion-weighted imaging with combined parallel imaging and rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging reduced artifacts (ie, blurring and geometric distortions) by a calculated factor of seven when compared with DW diffusion-weighted imaging with ss-EPI single-shot echo-planar imaging , and it improved image quality from a score of 1 of 10 to a score of 8 of 10. The rs-EPI readout-segmented echo-planar imaging sequence with a b value of 0 sec/mm(2) yielded high-spatial-resolution T2-weighted MR images. An ADC apparent diffusion coefficient threshold of 1.275 × 10(-3) mm(2)/sec enabled differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions, with sensitivity and specificity of 96% and 100%, respectively, for both independent readers. CONCLUSION: At 7 T, one DW diffusion-weighted imaging examination of less than 4 minutes yielded high-quality ADC apparent diffusion coefficient maps and high-spatial-resolution T2-weighted MR images that were used to assess tumor and breast morphology. ADC apparent diffusion coefficient quantification alone enabled excellent differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions.
Authors: S Gruber; L Minarikova; K Pinker; O Zaric; M Chmelik; B Strasser; P Baltzer; T Helbich; S Trattnig; W Bogner Journal: Eur Radiol Date: 2015-08-27 Impact factor: 5.315
Authors: Romina Del Bosque; Jiaming Cui; Stephen Ogier; Sergey Cheshkov; Ivan E Dimitrov; Craig Malloy; Steven M Wright; Mary McDougall Journal: Magn Reson Med Date: 2020-08-09 Impact factor: 4.668
Authors: D Leithner; G J Wengert; T H Helbich; S Thakur; R E Ochoa-Albiztegui; E A Morris; K Pinker Journal: Clin Radiol Date: 2017-12-09 Impact factor: 2.350
Authors: Hubert Bickel; Katja Pinker; Stephan Polanec; Heinrich Magometschnigg; Georg Wengert; Claudio Spick; Wolfgang Bogner; Zsuzsanna Bago-Horvath; Thomas H Helbich; Pascal Baltzer Journal: Eur Radiol Date: 2016-08-30 Impact factor: 5.315