Two- versus three-dimensional dual gradient-echo MRI of the liver: a technical comparison

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Hepatology

Background:

• Fatty infiltration of the liver is a growing concern, necessitating accurate diagnostic tools.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers non-invasive methods for liver fat quantification.
• Spoiled dual gradient-echo (SPGR-DE) sequences are commonly used for liver fat assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of 2D SPGR-DE and 3D SPGR-DE with fat and water separation for evaluating focal and diffuse liver fatty infiltration.
• To assess image quality, lesion detection, and liver fat content (LFC) quantification between the two techniques.

Main Methods:

• 227 patients underwent 1.5 T liver MRI using both multiple-breath-hold 2D SPGR-DE and single-breath-hold 3D SPGR-DE with automatic fat-only image reconstruction.
• Two readers evaluated image quality and fat-containing lesions on in- and opposed-phase (IP/OP) images.
• LFC was quantified in 138 patients using 2D, 3D IP/OP, and 3D fat-only images.

Main Results:

• 3D SPGR-DE acquisition was significantly faster (23.7s vs 97.2s) but showed more breathing artifacts, impacting image quality.
• Both 2D and 3D IP/OP images demonstrated similar lesion detection rates and LFC estimations.
• 3D fat-only images yielded significantly higher LFC values compared to 2D and 3D IP/OP images.

Conclusions:

• 3D SPGR-DE MRI is a viable and faster alternative to 2D SPGR-DE for assessing liver fat infiltration.
• While 3D SPGR-DE is more prone to breathing artifacts, its fat-only reconstruction provides higher LFC values.
• Both techniques are diagnostically adequate for evaluating liver parenchyma fat content.