Comparison of 2D and multislab 3D magnetic resonance techniques for measuring carotid wall volumes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare a multislab three-dimensional volume-selective fast spin-echo (FSE) magnetic resonance (MR) sequence with a routine two-dimensional FSE sequence for quantification of carotid wall volume.


METHODS
One hundred normal subjects (50 men, mean age 44.6 years) underwent carotid vessel wall MR using 2D and 3D techniques. Carotid artery total vessel volume, lumen volume, wall volume, and wall/outer wall (W/OW) ratio were measured over 20 contiguous slices. Two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) results were compared.


RESULTS
The mean difference between 2D and 3D datasets (as a percentage of the mean absolute value) was 1.7% for vessel volume, 4.9% for lumen volume, 4.7% for wall volume, and 5.8% for W/OW ratio. There was good correlation between 2D and 3D models for total vessel volume (R(2) = 0.93, P < 0.001), lumen area (R(2) = 0.92, P < 0.001), and wall volume (R(2) = 0.77, P < 0.001). The correlation for the W/OW ratio was weaker (R(2) = 0.30; P < 0.001). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the 3D technique was 2.1-fold greater than for the 2D technique (P < 0.001). When using the 3D sequence, scan time was reduced by 63%.


CONCLUSIONS
Multislab volume selective 3D FSE carotid arterial wall imaging performs similarly to a conventional 2D technique, but with over twice the SNR and substantially reduced scan time.
Keenan
Niall G
NG
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
Grasso
Agata
A
Locca
Didier
D
Varghese
Anitha
A
Roughton
Michael
M
Gatehouse
Peter D
PD
Firmin
David N
DN
Pennell
Dudley J
DJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis