Free-breathing contrast-enhanced T1-weighted gradient-echo imaging with radial k-space sampling for paediatric abdominopelvic MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the image quality of contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic 3D fat-suppressed T1-weighted gradient-echo imaging with radial and conventional Cartesian k-space acquisition schemes in paediatric patients.


METHODS
Seventy-three consecutive paediatric patients were imaged at 1.5 T with sequential contrast-enhanced T1-weighted Cartesian (VIBE) and radial gradient echo (GRE) acquisition schemes with matching parameters when possible. Cartesian VIBE was acquired as a breath-hold or as free breathing in patients who could not suspend respiration, followed by free-breathing radial GRE in all patients. Two paediatric radiologists blinded to the acquisition schemes evaluated multiple parameters of image quality on a five-point scale, with higher score indicating a more optimal examination. Lesion presence or absence, conspicuity and edge sharpness were also evaluated. Mixed-model analysis of variance was performed to compare radial GRE and Cartesian VIBE.


RESULTS
Radial GRE had significantly (all P < 0.001) higher scores for overall image quality, hepatic edge sharpness, hepatic vessel clarity and respiratory motion robustness than Cartesian VIBE. More lesions were detected on radial GRE by both readers than on Cartesian VIBE, with significantly higher scores for lesion conspicuity and edge sharpness (all P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Radial GRE has better image quality and lesion conspicuity than conventional Cartesian VIBE in paediatric patients undergoing contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic MRI.


CONCLUSIONS
• Numerous techniques are required to provide optimal MR images in paediatric patients. • Radial free-breathing contrast-enhanced acquisition demonstrated excellent image quality. • Image quality and lesion conspicuity were better with radial than Cartesian acquisition. • More lesions were detected on contrast-enhanced radial than on Cartesian acquisition. • Radial GRE can be used for performing abdominopelvic MRI in paediatric patients.
Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, 660 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA, Hersh.Chandarana@nyumc.org.
Hersh
H
Chandarana
Kai T
KT
Block
Matthew J
MJ
Winfeld
Shailee V
SV
Lala
Daniel
D
Mazori
Emalyn
E
Giuffrida
James S
JS
Babb
Sarah S
SS
Milla
D000005:Abdomen / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010388:Pelvis / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012119:Respiration; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003287:Contrast Media