Feasibility of application of sensitivity encoding to the breath-hold T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence for evaluation of focal hepatic tumors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of the application of sensitivity encoding (SENSE) to the T2-weighted breath-hold turbo spin-echo (BHTSE) sequence for evaluating focal hepatic lesions.


METHODS
Thirty consecutive patients with 43 focal liver lesions underwent BHTSE, BHTSE using SENSE with the conventional parameters, and BHTSE using SENSE with increased matrix and reduced echo-train length (ETL). There were 23 hepatocellular carcinomas in 21 patients, 10 hemangiomas in six, and 10 metastases in three. The images were compared quantitatively by measuring the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the liver and the lesion and the lesion-liver contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and qualitatively by evaluating image quality, lesion conspicuity, artifact, and lesion detectability.


RESULTS
The SNR of lesions and the lesion-liver CNR were highest on BHTSE using SENSE with increased matrix and reduced ETL, which were significantly higher than conventional BHTSE (p <0.05). In qualitative analysis, the image quality and conspicuity of malignant lesions with BHTSE using SENSE with increased matrix and reduced ETL were better than with BHTSE and BHTSE using SENSE with the conventional parameter (p <0.05). The image artifacts were lower with two BHTSEs using SENSE than with BHTSE (p <0.05). Lesion conspicuity of malignancy on BHTSE using SENSE with the conventional parameter was superior to those on BHTSE (p <0.05). Although there was no significant difference in the lesion detectability among the three images, two malignant lesions were clearly depicted on BHTSE using SENSE with increased matrix and reduced ETL.


CONCLUSIONS
The application of SENSE to BHTSE can provide high-quality liver imaging with decreased acquisition time compared with conventional BHTSE.
Kim
Young Kon
YK
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Medical School, Jeonju, South Korea.
Kim
Chong Soo
CS
Chung
Gyung Ho
GH
Jeon
Su Bin
SB
Lee
Jeong Min
JM
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016477:Artifacts; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; 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; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis