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Basics of magnetic resonance imaging and quantitative parameters T1, T2, T2*, T1rho and diffusion-weighted imaging

  • Pediatric Body MRI
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Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging is widely available and accepted as the imaging method of choice for many pediatric body imaging applications. Traditionally, it has been used in a qualitative way, where the images are reported non-numerically by radiologists. But now MRI machines have built-in post-processing software connected to the scanner and the database of MR images. This setting enables and encourages simple quantitative analysis of MR images. In this paper, the author reviews the fundamentals of MRI and discusses the most common quantitative MRI techniques for body imaging: T1, T2, T2*, T1rho and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). For each quantitative imaging method, this article reviews the technique, its measurement mechanism, and selected clinical applications to body imaging.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Suraj D. Serai

  2. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Suraj D. Serai

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Correspondence to Suraj D. Serai.

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Serai, S.D. Basics of magnetic resonance imaging and quantitative parameters T1, T2, T2*, T1rho and diffusion-weighted imaging. Pediatr Radiol 52, 217–227 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-021-05042-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-021-05042-7

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