Improve the image quality of orbital 3 T diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with readout-segmented echo-planar imaging.

The aim of our study is to compare the image quality of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI) and that of standard single-shot EPI (ss-EPI) in orbital 3 T diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in healthy subjects. Forty-two volunteers underwent two sets of orbital DW imaging scan at a 3 T MR unit, and image quality was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. As a result, we found that rs-EPI could provide better image quality than standard ss-EPI, while no significant difference was found on the apparent diffusion coefficient between the two sets of DW images.