Feasibility of self-gated isotropic radial late-phase MR imaging of the liver.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate feasibility of a 3D-isotropic self-gated radial volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) for late-phase MRI of the liver.


METHODS
70 patients were included and underwent liver MRI at 1.5 T. Depending on the diagnosis, either Gd-EOB-DTPA (35 patients) or gadobutrol (35 patients) were administered. During late (gadobutrol) or hepatocyte-specific phase (Gd-EOB-DTPA), a radial prototype sequence was acquired and reconstructed using (1) self-gating with 40 % acceptance (rVIBE40); (2) with 100 % acceptance of the data (rVIBE100) and compared to Cartesian VIBE (cVIBE). Images were assessed qualitatively (image quality, lesion conspicuity, artefacts; 5-point Likert-scale: 5 = excellent; two independent readers) and quantitatively (coefficient-of-variation (CV); contrast-ratio) in axial and coronal reformations.


RESULTS
In eight cases only rVIBE provided diagnostic image quality. Image quality of rVIBE40was rated significantly superior (p < 0.05) in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced and coronal reformatted examinations as compared to cVIBE. Lesion conspicuity was significantly improved (p < 0.05) in coronal reformatted Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced rVIBE40in comparison to cVIBE. CV was higher in rVIBE40as compared to rVIBE100/cVIBE (p < 0.01). Gadobutrol-enhanced rVIBE40and cVIBE showed higher contrast-ratios than rVIBE100(p < 0.001), whereas no differences were found in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced examinations.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-gated 3D-isotropic rVIBE provides significantly superior image quality compared to cVIBE, especially in multiplanar reformatted and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced examinations.


CONCLUSIONS
• Radial VIBE acquisition reduces motion artefacts. • Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced scans provide improved image quality. • Non-diagnostic liver MRI examinations may be reduced by radial k-spaces sampling.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany. Jakob.Weiss@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
Jakob
J
Weiss
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Jana
J
Taron
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Ahmed E
AE
Othman
Siemens Healthcare MR, Erlangen, Germany.
Robert
R
Grimm
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Matthias
M
Kuendel
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Petros
P
Martirosian
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Christer
C
Ruff
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Christina
C
Schraml
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Konstantin
K
Nikolaou
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
Mike
M
Notohamiprodjo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016477:Artifacts; D062485:Breath Holding; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; C090600:gadobutrol; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
Artefacts; Gd-EOB-DTPA; Liver; Magnetic resonance imaging; Radial VIBE