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Comparison of lung imaging using three-dimensional ultrashort echo time and zero echo time sequences: preliminary study

  • Magnetic Resonance
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To determine the feasibility of using high-resolution volumetric zero echo time (ZTE) sequence in routine lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compare free breathing 3D ultrashort echo time (UTE) and ZTE lung MRI in terms of image quality and small-nodule detection.

Materials and methods

Our Institutional Review Board approved this study. Twenty patients underwent both UTE and ZTE sequences during routine lung MR. UTE and ZTE images were compared in terms of subjective image quality and detection of lung parenchymal signal, intrapulmonary structures, and sub-centimeter nodules. Differences between the two sequences were compared through statistical analysis.

Results

Lung parenchyma showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in ZTE than in UTE. The SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of peripheral bronchus and small pulmonary arteries were significantly (all p < 0.05) higher in ZTE. Subjective image quality evaluated by two independent radiologists in terms of depicting normal structures and overall acceptability was superior in ZTE (p < 0.05). The diagnostic accuracy for sub-centimeter nodules was significantly higher for ZTE (reader 1: AUC, 0.972; p = 0.044; reader 2: AUC, 0.946; p = 0.045) than that for UTE (reader 1: AUC, 0.885; reader 2: AUC, 0.855). Mean scan time was 131 s (125–141 s) in ZTE and 467 s (453–508 s) in UTE. ZTE images were obtained with less acoustic noise.

Conclusion

Implementing ZTE as an additional sequence in routine lung MR is feasible. ZTE can provide high-resolution pulmonary structural information with better SNR and CNR using shorter time than UTE.

Key Points

• Both UTE and ZTE techniques use very short TEs to capture signals from very short T2/T2* tissues.

• ZTE is superior in capturing lung parenchymal signal than UTE.

• ZTE provides high-resolution structural information with better SNR and CNR for normal intrapulmonary structures and small nodules using shorter scan time than UTE.

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Abbreviations

AUC:

Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve

CNR:

Contrast-to-noise ratio

RF:

Radio frequency

ROI:

Region of interest

SI:

Signal intensity

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

TE:

Echo time

UTE:

Ultra-short echo time

ZTE:

Zero echo time

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Funding

The authors state that this work has not received any funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea

    Kyungsoo Bae & Kyung Nyeo Jeon

  2. Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, 555 Samjeongja-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, 51472, South Korea

    Kyungsoo Bae, Kyung Nyeo Jeon, Ji Young Ha & Kyeong Hwa Ryu

  3. General Electronics (GE) Healthcare Korea, Seoul, South Korea

    Moon Jung Hwang & Joon Sung Lee

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea

    Ho Cheol Kim

Authors
  1. Kyungsoo Bae
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  2. Kyung Nyeo Jeon
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  3. Moon Jung Hwang
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  4. Joon Sung Lee
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  5. Ji Young Ha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyung Nyeo Jeon.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Kyung Nyeo Jeon.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare a relationship with GE Healthcare. GE Healthcare had provided them with 3D cones ultra-short TE research pulse. MJ Hwang and JS Lee are employees of GE Healthcare (GE Healthcare Research, Korea). GE Healthcare had no role in the design and performance of the study, data analyses, or data interpretation.

Statistics and biometry

No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all patients in this study.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Methodology

• Prospective

• Diagnostic or prognostic study

• Performed at one institution

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Bae, K., Jeon, K.N., Hwang, M.J. et al. Comparison of lung imaging using three-dimensional ultrashort echo time and zero echo time sequences: preliminary study. Eur Radiol 29, 2253–2262 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5889-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5889-x

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