Evaluation of focal liver lesions: fast-recovery fast spin echo T2-weighted MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To compare breath-hold fast-recovery fast spin echo (FR-FSE) and non-breath-hold fast spin echo (FSE) T2-weighted sequences for hepatic lesion conspicuity and image quality at MR imaging.


METHODS
Fifty-nine patients with known or suspected liver lesions underwent hepatic MR imaging by using a breath-hold FR-FSE T2-weighted sequence with and without fat suppression and a non-breath-hold FSE T2-weighted sequence with and without fat suppression. Quantitative analysis was made with measurements of the signal intensity of the liver, spleen, background noise, and up to three liver lesions, as well as calculations of the liver signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the liver-to-lesion contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for each sequence. Qualitative analysis was made for image quality and the number of lesions identified. Statistical analysis was performed by using a single-tailed paired Student's t test with a 95% confidence interval.


RESULTS
SNR and CNR were significantly higher (P<.05) for FSE with fat suppression than for FR-FSE with fat suppression. No statistically significant difference was seen in terms of SNR and CNR between non-fat-suppressed FSE and FR-FSE sequences. Lesion conspicuity, liver edge sharpness, and clarity of vessels were superior and ghosting was less with the FR-FSE sequences compared with the FSE sequences.


CONCLUSIONS
Breath-hold FR-FSE technique is a reasonable alternative in T2-weighted imaging of the liver.
Akin
Oguz
O
Department of Radiology, Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA. akino@mskcc.org <akino@mskcc.org>
Schwartz
Lawrence H
LH
Welber
Adam
A
Maier
Cynthia F
CF
Decorato
Douglas R
DR
Panicek
David M
DM
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012119:Respiration