Imaging the female pelvis at 3.0 T.
Three-Tesla whole body imaging is rapidly becoming part of routine clinical practice. Although it is generally thought that pelvic imaging at 3.0 T will be beneficial because of increased signal to noise and greater spectral separation, adjustments in protocol and sequence parameters are necessary to optimize image quality. The question remains as to whether 3.0-T imaging will offer further benefits beyond 1.5 T in terms of lesion characterization and functional imaging. This article aims to address safety concerns and to illustrate the potential benefits and technical challenges of imaging the female pelvis at 3.0 T. Imaging protocols and sequence parameters for routine gynecologic indications are suggested, and potential clinical applications at 3.0 T are discussed such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, perfusion, diffusion weighted imaging, and the use of alternate contrast agents.
Lim
Ruth P
RP
Department of Radiology, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Lee
Vivian S
VS
Bennett
Genevieve L
GL
Chen
Qun
Q
McGorty
KellyAnne
K
Taouli
Bachir
B
Hecht
Elizabeth M
EM
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D010388:Pelvis / Q000473:pathology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011247:Pregnancy