Stereotactic accuracy of a 3-tesla magnetic resonance unit

Recently, magnetic resonance imagers (MRIs) with 3-tesla magnets were approved for clinical use. The spatial accuracy of these high-resolution scanners has yet to be proven. In the present study, a computed tomography (CT)- and MRI-compatible phantom was scanned on a CT, a 1.5-tesla MRI and a 3-tesla MRI scanner. The model was registered to the images using an infrared-based surgical navigation system. The distance between the predicted position of the navigation probe tip and the actual target on the image was measured on the x, y and z axes for 13 points on each image. Error was compared across imaging modalities, peripheral versus central targets and along each axis. We found that 3-tesla MRI scans are accurate as stereotactic data sets.