Diffusion-weighted Imaging of the Abdomen during a Single Breath-hold Using Simultaneous-multislice Echo-planar...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Diffusion-Weighted Imaging

Background:

• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is crucial for abdominal MRI.
• Traditional respiratory-triggered (RT) DWI requires long scan times.
• Faster acquisition methods are needed for improved patient comfort and reduced motion artifacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity of single breath-hold (BH) DWI using simultaneous-multislice (SMS) echo-planar imaging for abdominal organs.
• To assess the reliability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) quantification with BH-DWI.
• To enable faster MRI acquisition and improve diagnostic accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Compared BH-DWI with RT-DWI across two MRI scanners.
• Evaluated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), geometric distortion (GD), and ADC in a phantom.
• Assessed ADC in liver, renal cortex, paraspinal muscle, spleen, and pancreas in volunteers.
• Measured portal vein-to-muscle signal intensity ratio (SIR_PV-M).

Main Results:

• BH-DWI scan times were significantly shorter (23s) than RT-DWI (184±33s).
• No significant differences in GD and ADC were found between BH- and RT-DWI in the phantom.
• BH-DWI showed significantly lower liver ADC and SIR_PV-M compared to RT-DWI.
• No significant differences in ADC were observed for renal cortex, paraspinal muscle, spleen, or pancreas.

Conclusions:

• Single breath-hold DWI with SMS enables rapid acquisition of abdominal diffusion images.
• The method is valid for ADC quantification in most abdominal organs, excluding the liver.
• This technique offers potential for faster and more efficient abdominal MRI examinations.