title: Feasibility of accelerated simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted MRI of the prostate.
abstract: To assess the feasibility of simultaneous multislice (SMS) single-shot echo-planar-imaging (EPI) for accelerated diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the prostate.
  
  
  
  For phantom measurements a dedicated DWI phantom with different sucrose concentrations was used. In addition, 10 volunteers and 16 patients with suspected prostate cancer were examined for in vivo measurements. All examinations were performed with a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. A prototype simultaneous multislice EPI sequence (DW-EPISMS; acquisition time 3:14 min) was acquired and compared to a single-shot EPI sequence (DW-EPISS; acquisition time 6:12 min) serving as a standard of reference. Different image quality parameters of EPISMSwere assessed qualitatively (overall image quality, anatomic differentiability, lesion conspicuity, image noise, distortion; two independent readers; 5-point Likert-scale [5 = excellent]) and quantitatively (ADC-values by calculating interclass correlation [ICC] and Bland-Altman limits of agreement [LoA] as measures for reproducibility) and compared to DW-EPISS.
  
  
  
  DW-EPISMSallowed for a substantially reduced acquisition time as compared to DW-EPISS(˜50%). Bland-Altman plots revealed robust measurement repeatability for DW-EPISMSin the phantom study. Overall image quality did not significantly differ between DW-EPISMSand DW-EPISS(b1500 images P = 0.5; ADC maps P = 0.7). Only in b1500 DW images was subjective image noise rated significantly higher in DW-EPISSthan in DW-EPISMS(P = 0.006). Quantitative analysis of ADC-values revealed not significant differences between DW-EPISMSand DW-EPISS(P = 0.7) and high measures for reproducibility ICC ≥0.96.
  
  
  
  Simultaneous multislice DWI is feasible for accelerated prostate MRI allowing for a substantially reduced examination time with similar image quality and ADC-values as compared to a standard of reference DWI sequence.
  
  
  
  3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1507-1515.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Section on Experimental Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martirosian
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taron
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ahmed E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Signal Processing and System Theory, University of Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuestner
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erb
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bedke
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bamberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Notohamiprodjo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011467:Prostate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: accelerated prostate MRI; diffusion-weighted imaging; prostate cancer; simultaneous multislice acquisition