[Optimization of the technic in the study of the upper abdomen using magnetic resonance. I. Artifact reduction]

Complete motion artifact suppression is possible in abdominal MR imaging with the simple optimization of sequence parameters, with no need for special softwares. The authors have studied the influence of sequence parameters modification on the signal/noise relation and on the presence of motion artifacts. The tested parameters included Repetition Time (TR), 150 to 2000 ms, Echo Time (TE), 20 to 120 ms, and the number of acquisitions, 2 to 16. In T1-weighted sequences, the major advantages were offered by the short TR and short TE association, with many acquisitions. Optimal signal/noise relation and complete motion artifact suppression were thus obtained. In T2-weighted sequences, TE values had to be changed according to the desired contrast enhancement, and the number of acquisitions could not be increased to more than 2 in order to keep the acquisition time short.