title: Respiratory motion artifact suppression in diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the spine.
abstract: Diffusion-weighted spin-echo imaging of the spine has been successfully implemented for differentiation of benign fracture edema and tumor infiltration of the vertebral body. Nevertheless, this technique still suffers from insufficient image quality in numerous patients due to motion artifacts. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of variable respiratory motion artifact suppression techniques on image quality in diffusion-weighted spin-echo imaging of the spine. In addition to phase-encoding reordering, a newly implemented right hemi-diaphragmaitc navigator for respiratory gating was used. Subjective and objective image quality parameters were compared. Respiratory motion artifact suppression has a major impact on image quality in diffusion-weighted imaging of the spine. Phase-encoding reordering does not enhance image quality while right hemi-diaphragmatic respiratory navigator gating significantly improves image quality at the cost of data acquisition time. Navigator gating should be used if standard spin-echo diffusion-weighted imaging demonstrates insufficient image quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, Aachen University of Technology, Pauwelsstrasse, 52057 Aachen, Germany. spuenti@rad.rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spuentrup
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buecker
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koelker
authors.forename: Rolf W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Guenther
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stuber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000473:pathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012119:Respiration; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*