title: Diffusion-weighted imaging of breast tumours at 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla: a comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare bilateral diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) at 3 T and 7 T in the same breast tumour patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients were included in this IRB-approved study (mean age 56 ± 16 years). Before contrast-enhanced imaging, bilateral DWI with b = 0 and 850 s/mm(2) was performed in 2:56 min (3 T) and 3:48 min (7 T), using readout-segmented echo planar imaging (rs-EPI) with a 1.4 × 1.4 mm(2) (3 T)/0.9 × 0.9 mm(2) (7 T) in-plane resolution. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC), signal-to-noise (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight lesions were detected (18 malignant, 10 benign). CNR and SNR were comparable at both field strengths (p > 0.3). Mean ADC values at 7 T were 4-22% lower than at 3 T (p ≤ 0.03). An ADC threshold of 1.275 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s resulted in a diagnostic specificity of 90% at both field strengths. The sensitivity was 94% and 100% at 3 T and 7 T, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  7-T DWI of the breast can be performed with 2.4-fold higher spatial resolution than 3 T, without significant differences in SNR if compared to 3 T.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • 7 T provides a 2.4-fold higher resolution in breast DWI than 3 T • 7 T DWI has a high diagnostic accuracy comparable to that at 3 T • At 7 T malignant lesions had 22 % lower ADC than at 3 T (p < 0.001).
authors: MRCE, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Gruber
authors: MRCE, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Minarikova
authors: Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Pinker
authors: MRCE, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Zaric
authors: MRCE, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Chmelik
authors: MRCE, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Strasser
authors: Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Baltzer
authors: Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Helbich
authors: MRCE, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria. siegfried.trattnig@meduniwien.ac.at.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria. siegfried.trattnig@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Trattnig
authors: MRCE, Department of Biomedical imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.|Christian Doppler Laboratory for Clinical Molecular MR Imaging, Vienna, Austria.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Bogner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000473:pathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008413:Mastitis / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D047368:Tumor Burden; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 7 Tesla; Breast MRI; Breast cancer; DWI; Diffusion