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Updated: Dec 9, 2025
Tracking the Mammary Architectural Features and Detecting Breast Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: December 15, 2014
Improving the image quality of DWI in breast cancer: comparison of multi-shot DWI using multiplexed sensitivity
Gabrielle C Baxter1, Andrew J Patterson2, Ramona Woitek1
1Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Objective:
To compare diffusion-weighted images (DWI) acquired using single-shot echo-planar imaging (ss-EPI) and multiplexed sensitivity encoding (MUSE) in breast cancer.
Methods:
20 females with pathologically confirmed breast cancer (age 51 ± 12 years) were imaged with ss-EPI-DWI and MUSE-DWI. ADC, normalised ADC (nADC), blur and distortion metrics and qualitative image quality scores were compared. The Crété-Roffet and Mattes mutual information metrics were used to evaluate blurring and distortion, respectively. In a breast phantom, six permutations of MUSE-DWI with varying parallel acceleration factor and number of shots were compared. Differences in ADC and nADC were compared using the coefficient of variation in the phantom and a paired t-test in patients. Differences in blur, distortion and qualitative metrics were analysed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results:
There was a low coefficient of variation (<2%) in ADC between ss-EPI-DWI and all MUSE-DWI permutations acquired using the phantom. 22 malignant and three benign lesions were identified in 20 patients. ADC values measured using MUSE were significantly lower compared to ss-EPI for malignant but not benign lesions (p < 0.001, p = 0.21). nADC values were not significantly different (p = 0.62, p = 0.28). Blurring and distortion improved with number of shots and acceleration factor, and significantly improved with MUSE in patients (p < 0.001, p = 0.002). Qualitatively, image quality improved using MUSE.
Conclusion:
MUSE improves the image quality of breast DWI compared to ss-EPI.
Advances In Knowledge:
MUSE-DWI has superior image quality and reduced blurring and distortion compared to ss-EPI-DWI in breast cancer.
