Diffusion-prepared stimulated-echo turbo spin echo (DPsti-TSE): An eddy current-insensitive sequence for...

Area of Science:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Diffusion-Weighted Imaging

Background:

• Traditional 2D diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging (DW-EPI) suffers from signal loss due to eddy currents, limiting image quality and accuracy.
• Developing advanced MRI sequences is crucial for improving diagnostic capabilities in various clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel three-dimensional (3D), diffusion-prepared turbo spin echo sequence with a stimulated-echo readout (DPsti-TSE).
• To demonstrate the capability of DPsti-TSE for high-resolution and undistorted diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), overcoming limitations of conventional methods.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a DPsti-TSE sequence incorporating a dephasing gradient in the diffusion preparation and rephasing gradients in the turbo spin echo module.
• Validation using phantom experiments to assess apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and transient signal behavior.
• In vivo imaging of prostate and carotid vessel wall to evaluate resolution, distortion, and scan time.

Main Results:

• DPsti-TSE demonstrated near-perfect agreement with DW-EPI for ADC values in phantom studies.
• High-resolution, undistorted 3D whole-prostate DWI was achieved in 6 minutes with four b values.
• Consistent ADC values were obtained for carotid vessel wall imaging in 12 minutes, showing robustness across subjects and slice locations.

Conclusions:

• DPsti-TSE is a robust 3D diffusion-weighted sequence that effectively minimizes eddy current-induced signal loss.
• The sequence provides high-resolution, undistorted DWI with accurate ADC quantification.
• DPsti-TSE presents an attractive alternative to conventional 2D DW-EPI for various clinical applications, including prostate and vascular imaging.