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Registered Bioimaging of Nanomaterials for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Monitoring
Published on: December 9, 2010
Clinical application of readout-segmented- echo-planar imaging for diffusion-weighted imaging in pediatric brain
S J Holdsworth1, K Yeom, S Skare
1Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|May 21, 2011
Summary
This study shows that read-out segmented echo-planar imaging (RS-EPI) offers superior image quality for pediatric diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) compared to standard EPI. RS-EPI provides higher resolution and reduced distortions, improving diagnostic confidence.
Area of Science:
- Radiology and Imaging
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Echo-planar imaging (EPI) is a standard for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).
- Read-out segmented EPI (RS-EPI) is a potential alternative to EPI for high-resolution DWI with reduced distortions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical utility of GRAPPA-accelerated RS-EPI DWI in pediatric patients.
- To compare RS-EPI DWI with standard accelerated EPI DWI.
Main Methods:
- GRAPPA-accelerated RS-EPI DWI and ASSET EPI DWI were acquired on 35 pediatric patients at 3T.
- Images were graded using a 7-point Likert scale by blinded readers.
Main Results:
- RS-EPI demonstrated significantly higher scores for resolution (5.2/7), distortion level (6.0/7), lesion conspicuity (5.9/7), and diagnostic confidence (6.0/7) compared to EPI.
- While EPI had better SNR per scanning time, RS-EPI's higher spatial resolution and reduced distortions improved visualization of critical anatomical details.
Conclusions:
- RS-EPI is a valuable technique for pediatric DWI, offering improved diagnostic confidence.
- The combination of parallel imaging and alternative k-space trajectories like RS-EPI is crucial for enhancing resolution and reducing distortions in clinical settings.
