Validation of fast MR thermometry at 1.5 T with gradient-echo echo planar imaging sequences: phantom and clinical feasibility studies.
The purpose of this work was to validate in phantom studies and demonstrate the clinical feasibility of MR proton resonance frequency thermometry at 1.5 T with segmented gradient-echo echo planar imaging (GRE-EPI) sequences during liver tumour radiofrequency (RF) ablation. Classical GRE acquisitions and segmented GRE-EPI acquisitions were performed at 1.5 T during simultaneous RF heating with an MR-compatible RF electrode placed in an agar gel phantom. Temperature increments were calculated and compared with four optical temperature probe measurements using Bland- Altman analysis. In a preliminary clinical feasibility study, the rapid GRE-EPI sequence (echo train length = 13) was used for MR temperature monitoring of RF ablation of liver tumours in three patient procedures. For phantom experiments, the Bland-Altman mean of differences between MR and optical probe temperature measurements was <0.4 degrees C, and the 95% limits of agreement value was <1.4 degrees C. For the in vivo studies, respiratory-triggered GRE-EPI acquisitions yielded a temperature accuracy of 1.3 +/- 0.4 degrees C (acquisition time = 0.6 s/image, spatial coverage of three slices/respiratory cycle). MR proton resonance frequency thermometry at 1.5 T yields precise and accurate measurements of temperature increment with both classical GRE and rapid GRE-EPI sequences. Rapid GRE-EPI sequences minimize intra-scan motion effects and can be used for MR thermometry during RF ablation in moving organs.
Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland. cernicanu@hotmail.com
Alexandru
A
Cernicanu
Matthieu
M
Lepetit-Coiffe
Joerg
J
Roland
Christoph D
CD
Becker
Sylvain
S
Terraz
D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013817:Thermography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*