Radiology, Vol 194, 439-446, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
T2-weighted breath-hold MR imaging of the liver at 1.5 T: results with a three-dimensional steady-state free precession sequence in 87 patients
M Taupitz, A Speidel, B Hamm, M Deimling, M Reichel, A Bock and KJ Wolf
Department of Radiology, Klinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany.
PURPOSE: To evaluate a fast three-dimensional (3D) sequence that permits
the acquisition of 16 T2-weighted images within a 29-second breath hold for
magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Eighty-seven patients with focal liver lesions were examined at 1.5 T by
using a 3D reversed fast imaging with steady-state precession (PSIF)
sequence at flip angles of 15 degrees, 30 degrees, and 70 degrees and a
T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) sequence. Quantitative and qualitative image
analysis was performed. RESULTS: Contrast and signal difference-to-noise
ratios were 56% and 33% (liver-spleen) and 76% and 68% (liver-tumor),
respectively, with the 3D-PSIF sequence compared with the T2-weighted SE
sequence. With 3D-PSIF, overall image quality was poorer than that of the
T2-weighted SE sequence at flip angles of 15 degrees but was similar at 30
degrees and 70 degrees. At low flip angles (15 degrees and 30 degrees) all
lesion types were hyperintense. At a flip angle of 70 degrees, it was
predominantly cysts and hemangiomas that showed high signal intensity. With
the 3D-PSIF sequence, intrahepatic vessels are void of signal and can be
better distinguished from small liver lesions compared with the flow-
compensated T2-weighted SE sequence. CONCLUSION: The fast 3D-PSIF sequence
is a valuable addition to MR imaging of the liver.
