3D MR sequence capable of simultaneous image acquisitions with and without blood vessel suppression: utility in...

Volume isotropic simultaneous interleaved bright- and black-blood examination (VISIBLE) is a recently developed 3D MR sequence that provides simultaneous acquisitions of images with blood vessel suppression (Black) and images without it (Bright). Our purpose was to evaluate the usefulness of VISIBLE in detecting brain metastases.

This prospective study included patients with suspected brain metastasis imaged with both VISIBLE and MPRAGE. From a data set, we compared the number of visualized blood vessels and the lesion-to-normal contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in 60 patients. We also performed an observer test to compare their diagnostic performance with VISIBLE, MPRAGE and only Black in 34 patients. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using a figure of merit (FOM), sensitivity, false-positive results per case (FPs/case) and reading time.

The number of vessels was significantly fewer in Black compared to MPRAGE and Bright (P < 0.0001). CNR was significantly higher with both Black and Bright than with MPRAGE (P < 0.005). In the observer test, significantly higher sensitivity (P < 0.0001) and FOM (P < 0.0001), significantly shorter reading time (P = 0.0001) and similar FPs/case were achieved with VISIBLE compared to MPRAGE. Compared to only Black, VISIBLE resulted in comparable sensitivity, but significantly fewer FPs/case (P = 0.0008).

VISIBLE can improve radiologists' diagnostic performance for brain metastasis.

• VISIBLE can achieve higher sensitivity and shorter reading time than MPRAGE. • VISIBLE can achieve lower false-positive rates than blood vessel suppressed images. • Compared to MPRAGE, VISIBLE can improve diagnostic performance for brain metastasis.