title: High-speed imaging at 3 Tesla: a technical and clinical review with an emphasis on whole-brain 3D imaging.
abstract: Improvements to the inherently high specific-absorption rate (SAR) of high-speed imaging at 3T are necessary in order to render this method clinically feasible. Various efforts have been undertaken to improve the associated hardware and software. In this review, we focus on whole-brain isotropic 3D imaging with a turbo spin-echo sequence with variable flip-angle echo trains (3D-TSE-VFL) and present its technical and clinical features. This sequence can be used to acquire images of various contrasts including T2-weighted, fat-suppressed T2-weighted, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), fat-suppressed FLAIR, and STIR (short tau inversion recovery). Various aspects of 3D-TSE-VFL are discussed, including CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and metal artifacts, STIR contrast, small-part visualization other than brain, and the possibility of serial subtraction. Some images from clinical cases are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan. naganawa@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naganawa
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukatsu
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishigaki
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komada
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Takizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D013997:Time Factors