title: Detection of brain lesions at the skull base using diffusion-weighted imaging with readout-segmented echo-planar imaging and generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the value of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI) with parallel imaging and a two-dimensional (2D) navigator-based reacquisition technique in the detection of brain lesions at the skull base.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 54 patients (male 37, female 17) with suspected skull-base intracranial lesions underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including pre-T1 weighted imaging, T2-weighted imaging, Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR), standard single shot echo-planar imaging diffusion weighted imaging (ss-EPI DWI) and rs-EPI DWI, post-contrast T1-weighted. The total number of lesions and the number of lesions at different sites on all MRI sequences were used as reference measures. Then differences in detecting lesions and image quality between standard ss-EPI DWI and rs-EPI DWI were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference in the total number of lesions detected by rs-EPI DWI and standard ss-EPI DWI (P = 0.01). But this difference was mainly due to an improved ability of rs-EPI DWI to detect lesions located in the anterior cranial fossa, compared to ss-EPI DWI (P=0.02); the ability of ss-EPI and rs-EPI DWI to detect lesions in the middle cranial fossa and posterior cranial fossa was not significantly different (P = 0.471, P = 0.486, respectively). For image quality, rs-EPI images were significantly better than standard ss-EPI DWI images (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rs-EPI DWI technique is a useful tool for the detection and evaluation of lesions located at the skull base.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Sixth Affiliated People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Er
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Wen-Bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yue-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019291:Skull Base / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods