title: Detection of focal liver lesions in unenhanced and ferucarbotran-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging: a comparison of T2-weighted breath-hold and respiratory-triggered sequences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the image quality and detection rate of focal liver lesions by comparing a T2-weighted breath-hold single-shot sequence and a T2-weighted high spatial resolution fast spin-echo sequence with respiratory triggering via unenhanced and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced liver imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was approved by the local ethical review board; informed consent was waived. Liver-lesion contrast was measured and a qualitative consensus evaluation of image quality and lesion detection was performed in 42 consecutive patients using a 1.5-T MR system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The liver-lesion contrast was significantly higher (P<.05) for the respiratory-triggered sequence compared to the breath-hold sequence regarding unenhanced and SPIO-enhanced imaging. The respiratory-triggered sequences revealed significantly higher image quality scores as well as higher numbers of detected liver lesions compared to the breath-hold sequence on unenhanced and SPIO-enhanced imaging. The SPIO contrast did not significantly improve the number of detected lesions on the respective sequences (P>.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We find that respiratory-triggered fast spin-echo sequences produce a higher image quality and a more precise liver-lesion detection rate thereby justifying the increased acquisition time necessary for this method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Campus Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rief
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Franiel
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bresan
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taupitz
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klessen
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Asbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D003911:Dextrans; D005260:Female; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012119:Respiration; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide