title: Eye imaging with a 3.0-T MRI using a surface coil--a study on volunteers and initial patients with uveal melanoma.
abstract: MRI of uveal melanoma using 1.5-T technology and surface coils has developed into a standard procedure. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of 3.0-T technology in eye imaging. To optimize the MRI sequences for clinical eye imaging with 3.0-T, six healthy volunteers were conducted using a 4.0-cm surface coil. Evaluation criteria were the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) and image quality. A further six patients with uveal melanoma were examined with 1.5- and 3.0-T under retrobulbar anesthesia. During 3.0-T examinations of volunteers, eye movements caused significant artifacts. On the contrary, excellent imaging quality was reached in examinations of patients under retrobulbar anesthesia at 3.0 T. Subjective assessment showed no significant difference between 1.5 and 3.0 T in patients. Due to the increased SNR, the 3.0-T technique has the potential to improve eye imaging, but the higher susceptibility to motion artifacts limits the clinical use of this technique to patients receiving retrobulbar anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Medizinische Fakultät der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Klinik für Strahlenheilkunde, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany. lemke@charite.de
authors.forename: Arne-Jörn
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lemke
authors.forename: Minouche
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alai-Omid
authors.forename: Susanne Anja
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hengst
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kazi
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Felix
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*