Continuously moving table MRI with sliding multislice for rectal cancer staging: image quality and lesion detection.
OBJECTIVE
To determine image quality and lesion detection of sliding multislice (SMS), a recently developed moving table MRI technique, in patients with rectal cancer.


METHODS
Twenty-seven paired SMS (Avanto, Siemens Medical Solutions) and MDCT (Sensation 64, Siemens Medical Solutions) examinations of abdomen and pelvis were performed in patients with rectal cancer and compared for detection of liver, lymph node and bone metastases by two independent observers. A contrast-enhanced, fat saturated 2D gradient echo sequence (TE, 2.0 ms; TR, 102 ms; slice, 5 mm) was acquired with SMS and a standard contrast-enhanced protocol (100 ml @ 2.5 ml/s; slice, 5 mm) was used for abdominal MDCT. Standard of reference consisted of a consensus evaluation of SMS, MDCT, and all available follow-up examinations after a period of 6 months. Artifact burden and image quality of SMS was assessed in comparison to stationary gradient echo sequences obtained in an age-matched group of 27 patients.


RESULTS
Whereas SMS achieved a mean quality score of 3.65 (scale, 0-4) for the liver, representing very good diagnostic properties, strong breathing artifacts in the intestinal region were observed in 19 cases by both observers. The retroperitoneum still achieved a mean quality score of 3.52, although breathing artifacts were noted in 12 and 15 cases (observers 1 and 2, respectively). The sensitivities of SMS to detect hepatic metastases were 91.2% and 94.1% for both observers, respectively, compared to 98.5%/98.5% for MDCT. The sensitivities for lymph node metastases were 87.5%/81.3% for SMS compared to 78.1%/81.3% for MDCT. The sensitivities for bone metastases were 91.7%/100% for SMS compared to 8.3%/16.7% for MDCT.


CONCLUSIONS
With slightly reduced image quality in the intestinal region, SMS exhibits equal detection of lymph node and liver metastases compared to MDCT. SMS MRI proved to be superior to MDCT in detection of bone metastases.
Baumann
Tobias
T
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. tobias.baumann@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Ludwig
Ute
U
Pache
Gregor
G
Fautz
Hans-Peter
HP
Kotter
Elmar
E
Langer
Mathias
M
Schaefer
Oliver
O
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C064572:gadobenic acid; D008536:Meglumine