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Understanding why contrast enhancement in dynamic MRI is not reproducible: illustration with a simple phantom
1Institut für Röntgendiagnostik der Bayerischen Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. pabst@roentgen.uni-wuerzburg.de
Abstract:
The goal of this work was to verify in a phantom study the necessity of a calibration method for comparison in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. A perspex phantom with a dilution series of Gd-DTPA was used to measure the dynamic signal enhancement of a sequence. With nine MRI scanners from Bruker (0.23, 0.5, and 2 Tesla), Philips [0.5 and 1.5 Tesla (ACS-NT and S15)], and Siemens (0.2, 1.0, and 1.5 Tesla) one 2D FLASH and two 3D FLASH experiments were performed under identical measurement conditions. Under different measurement conditions (2D and 3D FLASH, TR, TE, FA) different characteristics in signal enhancement exist on a scanner. The same measurement conditions at different scanners (same magnetic field strength) also result in different signal enhancement. Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI examinations from different measurement conditions or scanners cannot be compared. To solve this problem a calibration is needed.