Comparison of 1.5T and 3T 1H MR spectroscopy for human brain tumors.
OBJECTIVE
We wanted to estimate the practical improvements of 3T proton MR spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) as compared with 1.5T (1)H MRS for the evaluation of human brain tumors.


METHODS
Single voxel (1)H MRS was performed at both 1.5T and 3T in 13 patients suffering with brain tumors. Using the same data acquisition parameters at both field strengths, the (1)H MRS spectra were obtained with a short echo time (TE) (35 msec) and an intermediate TE (144 msec) with the voxel size ranging from 2.0 cm(3) to 8.7 cm(3). The signal to noise ratios (SNRs) of the metabolites (myoinositol [MI], choline compounds [Cho], creatine /phosphocreatine [Cr], N-acetyl-aspartate [NAA], lipid and lactate [LL]) and the metabolite ratios of MI/Cr, Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA and LL/Cr were compared at both TEs between the two field strengths in each brain tumor. The degrees of spectral resolution between the Cho and Cr peaks were qualitatively compared between the two field strengths in each brain tumor.


RESULTS
The SNRs of the metabolites at 3T demonstrated 49-73% increase at a short TE (p < 0.01) and only 2-12% increase at an intermediate TE (p > 0.05) compared with those of 1.5T. The SNR of inverted lactate at an intermediate TE decreased down to 49% with poorer inversion at 3T (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the metabolite ratios between the two field strengths. The degrees of the spectral resolution at 3T were slightly superior to those of 1.5T at a short TE.


CONCLUSIONS
As compared with 1.5T, 3T 1H MRS demonstrated 49-73% SNR increase in the cerebral metabolites and slightly superior spectral resolution only at a short TE, but little at an intermediate TE, in the brain tumors. There was no significant difference in the metabolite ratios between the two field strengths.
Kim
Ji-hoon
JH
Department of Radiology, Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Chang
Kee-Hyun
KH
Na
Dong Gyu
DG
Song
In Chan
IC
Kim
Seung Ja
SJ
Kwon
Bae Ju
BJ
Han
Moon Hee
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D011522:Protons