title: Fat suppression strategies in MR imaging of breast cancer at 3.0 T: comparison of the two-point Dixon technique and the frequency selective inversion method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare two fat suppression methods in contrast-enhanced MR imaging of breast cancer at 3.0 T: the two-point Dixon method and the frequency selective inversion method.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty female patients with breast cancer underwent contrast-enhanced three-dimensional T1-weighted MR imaging at 3.0 T. Both the two-point Dixon method and the frequency selective inversion method were applied. Quantitative analyses of the residual fat signal-to-noise ratio and the contrast noise ratio (CNR) of lesion-to-breast parenchyma, lesion-to-fat, and parenchyma-to-fat were performed. Qualitative analyses of the uniformity of fat suppression, image contrast, and the visibility of breast lesions and axillary metastatic adenopathy were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The signal-to-noise ratio was significantly lower in the two-point Dixon method (P < 0.001). All CNR values were significantly higher in the two-point Dixon method (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). According to qualitative analysis, both the uniformity of fat suppression and image contrast with the two-point Dixon method were significantly higher (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Visibility of breast lesions and metastatic adenopathy was significantly better in the two-point Dixon method (P < 0.001 and P = 0.03, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two-point Dixon method suppressed the fat signal more potently and improved contrast and visibility of the breast lesions and axillary adenopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan, wakako.k@hotmail.co.jp.
authors.forename: Wakako Kaneko
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kazama
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashide
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Motoori
authors.forename: Yukimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uno
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA