Radiology, Vol 195, 769-776, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
MR imaging of the abdomen with a phased-array multicoil: prospective clinical evaluation
NG Campeau, CD Johnson, JP Felmlee, JN Rydberg, RK Butts, RL Ehman and SJ Riederer
Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
PURPOSE: To prospectively compare use of a phased-array multicoil and a
conventional body coil in abdominal MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Thirteen patients (seven men, six women; mean age, 55 years) underwent
imaging with a phased-array multicoil and with a conventional body coil.
Four pulse sequences were used: T2-weighted spin echo (SE),
magnetization-prepared gradient-recalled echo (GRE), breath-hold fast SE,
and echo planar (EP). RESULTS: Lesion detection improved the most on fast
SE, multicoil-acquired images. Signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) increased 64%
with fast SE (P = .0005) and EP (P < .0109) sequences. Contrast-to-noise
ratio (C/N) doubled (P < .05) with T2-weighted SE sequences. Lesion
conspicuity improved on multicoil-acquired images with all fast sequences
(magnetization-prepared GRE, P = .015; fast SE, P = .002; EP imaging, P =
.013). There was little difference in respiratory and vascular artifact.
Depiction of most abdominal structures improved (P < .01). CONCLUSION:
Use of the phased-array multicoil provides better MR images of the abdomen
than does use of a conventional body coil.
