Abstract
Purpose
To assess impact of two-channel parallel transmission (pTx) with focused excitation [zoomed echo-planar imaging (EPI)] on image quality of prostate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at 3T.
Methods
27 male volunteers (27 ± 8 years) underwent 3T prostate MRI using 2-channel radiofrequency-transmit system and 18-channel torso receive coil. Scans included EPI–DWI sequence (b values 50, 500, 1000 s/mm2) acquired both with standard sinc pulse and 2-channel pTX with focused excitation, each acquired at large-field-of-view (FOV) (20 × 20 cm) and small-FOV (14 × 14 cm). An abdominal radiologist scored b-1000 images and ADC maps for image quality measures. Sequences were compared using paired Wilcoxon tests.
Results
pTx with focused excitation showed significant improvements compared with standard DWI on b-1000 images at large-FOV for the absence of wrap and overall image quality (p ≤ 0.049); on b-1000 images at small-FOV for reduced distortion of prostate, absence of ghosting, absence of wrap, clarity of prostate capsule, clarity of peripheral/transition zone boundary, clarity of peri-urethral region, and overall image quality (p ≤ 0.004); and on ADC maps at small-FOV for reduced distortion of prostate, sharpness of prostate, clarity of prostatic capsule, clarity of peri-urethral region, and overall image quality (p = 0.002–0.036). When compared with standard large-FOV images, small-FOV images obtained using pTx with focused excitation showed no significant difference on the b-1000 images for any feature (p ≥ 0.175), while showing significant improvements on the ADC maps in terms of reduced distortion, absence of ghosting, and absence of wrap (p = 0.010–0.030).
Conclusion
Zoomed DWI using 2-channel pTx reduced artifacts and improved image quality for 3T prostate DWI; benefit was most apparent for small-FOV images.
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Acknowledgment
Two authors (CG and JP) are employees of Siemens; however, neither Siemens nor these authors provided any funding for the project and the remaining authors had control over all data.
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Rosenkrantz, A.B., Chandarana, H., Pfeuffer, J. et al. Zoomed echo-planar imaging using parallel transmission: impact on image quality of diffusion-weighted imaging of the prostate at 3T. Abdom Imaging 40, 120–126 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-014-0181-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-014-0181-2