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High-resolution 3D-GRE imaging of the abdomen using controlled aliasing acceleration technique – a feasibility study

  • Magnetic Resonance
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Abstract

Objectives

To assess the feasibility of high-resolution 3D-gradient-recalled echo (GRE) fat-suppressed T1-weighted images using controlled aliasing acceleration technique (CAIPIRINHA-VIBE), and compare image quality and lesion detection to standard-resolution 3D-GRE images using conventional acceleration technique (GRAPPA-VIBE).

Materials and methods

Eighty-four patients (41 males, 43 females; age range: 14–90 years, 58.8 ± 15.6 years) underwent abdominal MRI at 1.5 T with CAIPIRINHA-VIBE [spatial resolution, 0.76 ± 0.04 mm] and GRAPPA-VIBE [spatial resolution, 1.17 ± 0.14 mm]. Two readers independently reviewed image quality, presence of artefacts, lesion conspicuity, and lesion detection. Kappa statistic was used to assess interobserver agreement. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for image qualitative pairwise comparisons. Logistic regression with post-hoc testing was used to evaluate statistical significance of lesions evaluation.

Results

Interobserver agreement ranged between 0.45-0.93. Pre-contrast CAIPIRINHA-VIBE showed significantly (p < 0.001) sharper images and lesion conspicuity with decreased residual aliasing, but more noise enhancement and inferior image quality. Post-contrast CAIPIRINHA-VIBE showed significantly (p < 0.001) sharper images and higher lesion conspicuity, with less respiratory motion and residual aliasing artefacts. Inferior fat-suppression was noticeable on CAIPIRINHA-VIBE sequences (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

High in-plane resolution abdominal 3D-GRE fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging using controlled-aliasing acceleration technique is feasible and yields sharper images compared to standard-resolution images using standard acceleration, with higher post-contrast image quality and trend for improved hepatic lesions detection.

Key Points

• High-resolution imaging of the upper abdomen is clinically feasible using 2D-controlled aliasing acceleration technique.

• High-resolution imaging yields significantly sharper images and increased hepatic lesions conspicuity.

• High-resolution imaging yields significantly less respiratory motion and residual aliasing artefacts.

• Controlled-aliasing offers substantial acquisition-time reduction in patients with breath-holding difficulties.

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Abbreviations

ACS:

Autocalibration signal

AF:

Acceleration factor

ARC:

Autocalibrating reconstruction for cartesian sampling

ASSET:

Array spatial and sensitivity encoding technique (ASSET)

CAIPIRINHA:

Controlled aliasing in parallel imaging results in higher acceleration

CARE:

Combined applications to reduce exposure

GBCA:

Gadolinium-based contrast agent

GRAPPA:

Generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition

GRE:

Gradient-recalled echo

HIPAA:

Health insurance portability and accountability act

iPAT:

Integrated parallel acquisition technique

IRB:

Institutional review board

RAPID:

Rapid acquisition through parallel imaging design

SENSE:

SENSitivity encoding for fast MRI

SMASH:

SiMultaneous acquisition of spatial harmonics

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

T:

Tesla

TE:

Echo time

TR:

Repetition time

VIBE:

Volume-interpolated breath-hold examination

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Acknowledgments

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Richard C. Semelka. One author (Dale B) works for Siemens. The rest of the authors (AlObaidy M, Ramalho M, Busireddy K, Liu B, Burke L, Altun E, Semelka R) of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. The authors state that this work has not received any funding. No complicated statistical work was needed for this paper. One of the authors, with no conflict, performed the statistical work. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Board. Study type: prospective case–control performed at one institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB 7510-2001 Old Clinic Bldg., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7510, USA

    Mamdoh AlObaidy, Miguel Ramalho, Kiran K. R. Busireddy, Baodong Liu, Lauren M. Burke, Ersan Altun & Richard C. Semelka

  2. MR Research and Development, Siemens Medical Solutions, Morrisville, NC, USA

    Brian M. Dale

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  1. Mamdoh AlObaidy
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  2. Miguel Ramalho
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  3. Kiran K. R. Busireddy
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  4. Baodong Liu
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  5. Lauren M. Burke
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  6. Ersan Altun
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  7. Brian M. Dale
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  8. Richard C. Semelka
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Correspondence to Richard C. Semelka.

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AlObaidy, M., Ramalho, M., Busireddy, K.K.R. et al. High-resolution 3D-GRE imaging of the abdomen using controlled aliasing acceleration technique – a feasibility study. Eur Radiol 25, 3596–3605 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3780-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3780-6

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