title: Signal-to-noise ratio and section thickness in two-dimensional versus three-dimensional Fourier transform MR imaging.
abstract: The efficiency and quality of three-dimensional Fourier transform (3DFT) magnetic resonance imaging were evaluated and compared with those of 2DFT imaging. For a fixed imaging time and number of sections, 3DFT imaging with conventional spin echoes always had a worse signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) than did 2DFT imaging, when both were optimized with respect to choice of repetition time (TR). With partial-flip magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, S/N was nearly equal for 2DFT and 3DFT imaging when both were optimized with respect to TR and flip angle. 3DFT imaging can have cross-section artifacts that exceed those of 2DFT imaging. For very thin sections these artifacts may be lessened, and 3DFT imaging can achieve this with smaller gradient pulses. Over-all, 3DFT imaging was found to be advantageous only for the very-thin-section imaging and in combination with partial-flip MR imaging.
authors.affiliation: Radiologic Imaging Laboratory, University of California San Francisco 94080.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crooks
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ortendahl
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D005583:Fourier Analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods