T2-weighted MR imaging for hepatic hemangiomas: comparison of breath-hold and non-breath-hold turbo spin-echo pulse sequences with phased-array multicoil.
BACKGROUND
We compared T2-weighted and heavily T2-weighted breath-hold turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequences with T2-weighted non-breath-hold TSE sequence to evaluate hepatic hemangiomas on magnetic resonance (MR) with a phased-array multicoil.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with 27 hemangiomas were studied at 1.0-T scanner by using T2-weighted and heavily T2-weighted breath-hold TSE sequences (18 s each) and non-breath-hold T2-weighted TSE sequences with use of a phased-array multicoil. Images were quantitatively analyzed for tumor-to-liver signal-difference-to-noise ratios (SD/Ns) and tumor-to-liver signal intensity ratios (T/Ls) and qualitatively analyzed for tumor conspicuity and motion-induced image artifacts.


RESULTS
Quantitatively, T2-weighted breath-hold TSE images showed the highest SD/Ns among the three sequences, although the differences from the heavily T2-weighted breath-hold TSE sequence and the T2-weighted non-breath-hold TSE sequence were not statistically significant (p = 0.61 and 0.06, respectively). Heavily T2-weighted breath-hold TSE images showed the highest T/Ls among the three sequences. The differences from the T2-weighted breath-hold TSE sequence and the T2-weighted non-breath-hold TSE sequence were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Qualitatively, breath-hold TSE images were superior to non-breath-hold TSE images in terms of tumor conspicuity (p < 0.01) and motion artifacts (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
T2-weighted breath-hold TSE sequence is superior to T2-weighted non-breath-hold TSE sequence in the evaluation of hepatic hemangiomas on MR with a phased-array multicoil.
Kim
T K
TK
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
Wang
W C
WC
Han
J K
JK
Cho
S G
SG
Choi
B I
BI
D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies