Abstract
Background
Pediatric body MRI exams often cover multiple body parts, making the development of broadly applicable protocols and obtaining uniform fat suppression a challenge. Volumetric T2 imaging with Dixon-type fat-water separation might address this challenge, but it is a lengthy process.
Objective
We develop and evaluate a faster two-echo approach to volumetric T2 imaging with fat-water separation.
Materials and methods
A volumetric spin-echo sequence was modified to include a second shifted echo so two image sets are acquired. A region-growing reconstruction approach was developed to decompose separate water and fat images. Twenty-six children were recruited with IRB approval and informed consent. Fat-suppression quality was graded by two pediatric radiologists and compared against conventional fat-suppressed fast spin-echo T2-W images. Additionally, the value of in- and opposed-phase images was evaluated.
Results
Fat suppression on volumetric images had high quality in 96% of cases (95% confidence interval of 80–100%) and were preferred over or considered equivalent to conventional two-dimensional fat-suppressed FSE T2 imaging in 96% of cases (95% confidence interval of 78–100%). In- and opposed-phase images had definite value in 12% of cases.
Conclusion
Volumetric fat-water separated T2-weighted MRI is feasible and is likely to yield improved fat suppression over conventional fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging.
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Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully thank Ersin Bayram and Zac Slavens of GE Healthcare for technical contributions to the pulse sequence and reconstruction and Jennifer Vancil for manuscript assistance. Additionally, support from the Tashia and John Morgridge Foundation helped make this work possible.
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Vasanawala, S.S., Madhuranthakam, A.J., Venkatesan, R. et al. Volumetric fat-water separated T2-weighted MRI. Pediatr Radiol 41, 875–883 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-010-1963-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-010-1963-5