Temperature mapping considerations in the breast with line scan echo planar spectroscopic imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Accurate in vivo temperature monitoring is crucial for breast cancer detection and treatment.
• Magnetic resonance (MR) techniques offer non-invasive temperature assessment capabilities.
• Existing MR methods face challenges with motion artifacts and signal availability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of line-scan echo planar spectroscopic imaging (LSEPSI) for serial in vivo breast temperature monitoring.
• To compare the efficacy of using water frequency versus water-methylene frequency difference for temperature characterization.
• To identify the advantages and limitations of LSEPSI for breast temperature assessment.

Main Methods:

• A novel line-scan echo planar spectroscopic imaging (LSEPSI) sequence was implemented.
• Serial spectral acquisitions were performed on nine female subjects in vivo.
• Temperature changes were analyzed using water frequency and water-methylene frequency difference.

Main Results:

• LSEPSI successfully acquired spectral data from 4,096 voxels every 6.4 seconds.
• The water-methylene frequency difference method significantly reduced apparent temperature fluctuations caused by motion.
• Unavailability of lipid/water resonances in some voxels and variations in frequency differences were noted.

Conclusions:

• LSEPSI shows promise for in vivo breast temperature monitoring, particularly when using the water-methylene frequency difference to mitigate motion.
• The technique offers advantages over other MR methods for breast temperature assessment.
• Further refinement is needed to address limitations for absolute temperature measurement.