Single-shot fast spin-echo diffusion tensor imaging of the lumbar spine at 1.5 and 3 T.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the lumbar spine could improve diagnostic specificity. The purpose of this work was to determine the feasibility of and to validate DTI with single-shot fast spin-echo (SSFSE) for lumbar intervertebral discs at 1.5 and 3 T. Six normal volunteers were scanned with DTI-SSFSE using an eight- and a three-b-value protocol at 1.5 and 3 T, respectively. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were computed and validated based on those obtained at 1.5 T from corresponding diffusion tensor scans using line scan diffusion imaging (LSDI), a technique that has been previously validated for use in the spine. Pearson correlation coefficients for LSDI and DTI-SSFSE ADC values were .88 and .89 for 1.5 and 3 T, respectively, with good quantitative agreement according to the Bland-Altman method. Results indicate that DTI-SSFSE is a candidate as a clinical sequence for obtaining diffusion tensor images of the lumbar intervertebral discs with scan times shorter than 4 min.
Carballido-Gamio
Julio
J
Department of Radiology, University of California-San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. jcarball@mrsc.ucsf.edu
Xu
Duan
D
Newitt
David
D
Han
Eric T
ET
Vigneron
Daniel B
DB
Majumdar
Sharmila
S
D000465:Algorithms; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*