Free-Breathing Volumetric Liver and Proton Density Fat Fraction Quantification in Pediatric Patients Using...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Radiology
• Hepatology

Background:

• Stack-of-radial multiecho gradient-echo MRI shows potential for free-breathing liver R2* quantification.
• This technique may offer significant benefits for pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate stack-of-radial MRI with self-gating motion compensation in phantoms.
• To evaluate the efficacy of this technique in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• Stack-of-radial and Cartesian multiecho gradient-echo sequences were used at 3T.
• Ungated and gated stack-of-radial proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and R2* maps were reconstructed with and without self-gating.
• Phantom measurements were validated against reference 2D Cartesian results.

Main Results:

• Gated stack-of-radial measurements showed minimal bias compared to reference methods.
• Free-breathing stack-of-radial R2* and PDFF measurements closely matched breath-hold Cartesian results.
• Interobserver agreement for both PDFF and R2* was excellent (ICC > 0.90).

Conclusions:

• Stack-of-radial MRI with self-gating motion compensation facilitates free-breathing liver R2* and PDFF quantification in children.
• This method provides accurate and reproducible measurements, potentially improving liver disease assessment in pediatric populations.