Simultaneous multi-slice readout-segmented echo planar imaging for accelerated diffusion-weighted imaging of the...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Diffusion-Weighted Imaging

Background:

• Readout-segmented echo planar imaging (rs-EPI) reduces artifacts in breast diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).
• However, rs-EPI is limited by prolonged acquisition times, hindering clinical utility.
• Simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) acquisition offers potential acceleration for rs-EPI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of SMS acquisition for accelerating rs-EPI in breast DWI.
• To assess the impact of SMS acceleration on scan time, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Main Methods:

• Eight healthy female volunteers underwent 3T breast MRI.
• Conventional and SMS-accelerated (2x and 3x) rs-EPI sequences were acquired at b-values of 50 and 800 s/mm(2).
• ADC values and SNR were analyzed and compared across sequences.

Main Results:

• Acquisition times were significantly reduced with SMS acceleration (1:44 min for 3x SMS vs. 4:21 min for conventional).
• No significant differences in ADC values (p=0.99) or SNR (p=0.83) were observed between conventional and SMS rs-EPI.
• Mean ADC values were consistently around 1.62 × 10(-3)mm(2)/s, with SNR ranging from 27.7-29.6.

Conclusions:

• SMS-accelerated rs-EPI maintains diagnostic image quality comparable to conventional rs-EPI.
• This acceleration technique markedly reduces scan time, enhancing the clinical applicability of rs-EPI for breast DWI.
• SMS rs-EPI represents a promising advancement for efficient and artifact-reduced breast MRI.