title: Reduced field-of-view diffusion imaging of the human spinal cord: comparison with conventional single-shot echo-planar imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  DWI of the spinal cord is challenging because of its small size and artifacts associated with the most commonly used clinical imaging method, SS-EPI. We evaluated the performance of rFOV spinal cord DWI and compared it with the routine fFOV SS-EPI in a clinical population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six clinical patients underwent 1.5T MR imaging examination that included rFOV SS-EPI DWI of the cervical spinal cord as well as 2 comparison diffusion sequences: fFOV SS-EPI DWI normalized for either image readout time (low-resolution fFOV) or spatial resolution (high-resolution fFOV). ADC maps were created and compared between the methods by using single-factor analysis of variance. Two neuroradiologists blinded to sequence type rated the 3 DWI methods, based on susceptibility artifacts, perceived spatial resolution, signal intensity-to-noise ratio, anatomic detail, and clinical utility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ADC values for the rFOV and both fFOV sequences were not statistically different (rFOV: 1.01 ± 0.18 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s; low-resolution fFOV: 1.12 ± 0.22 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s; high-resolution fFOV: 1.10 ± 0.21 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s; F = 2.747, P > .05). The neuroradiologist reviewers rated the rFOV diffusion images superior in terms of all assessed measures (P < 0.0001). Particular improvements were noted in patients with metal hardware, degenerative disease, or both.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  rFOV DWI of the spinal cord overcomes many of the problems associated with conventional fFOV SS-EPI and is feasible in a clinical population. From a clinical standpoint, images were deemed superior to those created by using standard fFOV methods.
authors: Department of Radiology, Stanford University, California, USA. gregz@stanford.edu
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Zaharchuk
authors: E U
authors: EU
authors: Saritas
authors: J B
authors: JB
authors: Andre
authors: C T
authors: CT
authors: Chin
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Rosenberg
authors: T J
authors: TJ
authors: Brosnan
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Shankaranarayan
authors: D G
authors: DG
authors: Nishimura
authors: N J
authors: NJ
authors: Fischbein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult