Fast MR imaging of the liver: quantitative comparison of techniques.
OBJECTIVE
To compare several techniques for fast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of focal liver lesions.


METHODS
Ninety patients (37 men and 53 women, aged 19-92 years [mean, 54 years]) with 137 focal liver lesions (56 metastases, 13 hepatocellular carcinomas, 52 hemangiomas, 16 cysts) underwent MR imaging with rapid acquisition spin-echo (RASE), T1-weighted fast low-angle shot (FLASH), turboFLASH, segmented turboFLASH, and T2-weighted conventional and turbo spin echo (SE). Images were analyzed for spleen-to-liver and lesion-to-liver signal difference-to-noise ratios (SD/Ns).


RESULTS
Turbo SE T2-weighted imaging had the highest SD/N for spleen-to-liver (P < .01) and for lesion-to-liver (P < .02) contrast. Segmented T1-weighted turboFLASH imaging had the second highest SD/N for spleen-to-liver (P < .001) contrast and was better overall than other T1-weighted sequences for depicting liver lesions (P < .01). Results at segmented turboFLASH imaging were second best for hemangiomas (P < .01). For metastases, no significant difference was found for results with the T1-weighted sequences.


CONCLUSIONS
Segmented T1-weighted turboFLASH and turbo SE T2-weighted imaging hae advantages over conventional techniques for liver imaging.
Siewert
B
B
Department of Radiology, New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, Mass.
Müller
M F
MF
Foley
M
M
Wielopolski
P A
PA
Finn
J P
JP
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged