Diffusion-weighted imaging of the kidney: comparison between simultaneous multi-slice and integrated slice-by-slice...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Diffusion-Weighted Imaging

Background:

• Kidney diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is crucial for diagnosing renal diseases.
• Current techniques like integrated slice-by-slice shimming (iShim) single-shot echo planar imaging (ssEPI) can be time-consuming.
• Optimizing DWI protocols is essential for improving patient comfort and diagnostic efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) DWI versus iShim ssEPI for kidney imaging.
• To evaluate differences in scan time, image quality, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values between the two techniques.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 6 healthy volunteers and 22 patients with renal diseases.
• Both SMS and iShim DWI of the kidney were performed at 3 Tesla using five b-values (0, 80, 400, 800, 1,600 s/mm²).
• Subjective image quality, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and ADC values were assessed and compared.

Main Results:

• SMS DWI significantly reduced scan time (1 min 38 sec) compared to iShim ssEPI (3 min 33 sec).
• SMS DWI demonstrated significantly higher SNR and overall image quality scores for b-values > 0, with fewer artifacts.
• CNR was significantly higher in SMS DWI for b=0 and b=1,600 images. ADC values of the renal parenchyma were comparable between both methods.

Conclusions:

• SMS DWI offers a substantial reduction in imaging time for kidney DWI.
• The technique provides slightly improved image quality with comparable ADC values to iShim ss-EPI.
• SMS DWI is a promising alternative for efficient and effective kidney diffusion imaging.