Fast 3D T2 -weighted imaging using variable flip angle transition into driven equilibrium (3D T2 -TIDE) balanced SSFP...

Area of Science:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Radiology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted fast spin echo (FSE) imaging of the prostate is crucial for diagnosis but is limited by long acquisition times.
• Developing faster imaging sequences is essential for improving patient comfort and throughput in clinical MRI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel, fast 3D T2-weighted sequence for prostate imaging at 3 Tesla.
• The new sequence, termed T2-TIDE (transition into driven equilibrium), aims to overcome the time limitations of conventional 3D FSE.

Main Methods:

• The 3D T2-TIDE sequence utilizes interleaved spiral-out phase encode ordering for efficient k-space sampling.
• It leverages the transient balanced steady-state free precession signal to acquire central k-space data for T2-weighted contrast.
• Performance was assessed using Bloch simulations and MRI scans from 10 healthy subjects, comparing it against standard 3D FSE.

Main Results:

• 3D T2-TIDE achieved significantly shorter acquisition times (2:54 minutes) compared to 3D FSE (7:02 minutes).
• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) efficiency was markedly higher for 3D T2-TIDE across various tissues, including the peripheral zone and anterior fibromuscular stroma.
• Specific SNR improvements were noted in the left peripheral zone (P < 0.01) and anterior fibromuscular stroma (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• 3D T2-TIDE enables rapid acquisition of high-quality T2-weighted prostate images at 3T.
• The sequence demonstrates superior SNR efficiency compared to conventional 3D FSE, offering a promising alternative for clinical prostate MRI.