title: Clinical application of navigator-gated three-dimensional balanced turbo-field-echo magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography at 3 T: prospective intraindividual comparison with 1.5 T.
abstract: To evaluate and compare the clinical utility of balanced turbo-field-echo (BTFE) magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) sequences obtained at 3 and 1.5 T.
  
  
  
  We acquired three-dimensional (3D) BTFE MRCP scans with a navigator-gated technique at 3 T on a different day after 1.5 T in 39 consecutive patients. Two radiologists independently rated the image quality and visibility of anatomical structures (right and left hepatic duct, cystic duct, gallbladder, common bile duct, and main pancreatic duct) using a four-point scale. For quantitative analysis, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and acquisition time were evaluated.
  
  
  
  All visual scores tended to be higher for 1.5 T than 3 T images. There was a significant difference in the image quality and the depiction of the main pancreatic duct (p < 0.01). The image acquisition time was significantly shorter for 3 T than 1.5 T (199.3 ± 40.1 vs. 264.0 ± 86.5 s, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in SNR and CNR.
  
  
  
  3D-BTFE MRCP scans acquired at 3 T were of sufficient image quality with respect to the biliary tree. SNR and CNR were comparable on 3 and 1.5 T scans, although the acquisition time was significantly shorter with the 3 T scanner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. banguliao@gmail.com.|Department of Radiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1, Tainoshima, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan. banguliao@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Itatani
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Namimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1, Tainoshima, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan.
authors.forename: Syutaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atsuji
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1, Tainoshima, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katahira
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
keywords: 3D; 3 T; BTFE; MRCP