Deep learning based multi-shot breast diffusion MRI: Improving imaging quality and reduced distortion

To investigate the imaging performance of deep-learning reconstruction on multiplexed sensitivity encoding (MUSE DL) compared to single-shot diffusion-weighted imaging (SS-DWI) in the breast.

In this prospective, institutional review board-approved study, both single-shot (SS-DWI) and multi-shot MUSE DWI were performed on patients. MUSE DWI was processed using deep-learning reconstruction (MUSE DL). Quantitative analysis included calculating apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) within fibroglandular tissue (FGT), adjacent pectoralis muscle, and breast tumors. The Hausdorff distance (HD) was used as a distortion index to compare breast contours between T2-weighted anatomical images, SS-DWI, and MUSE images. Subjective visual qualitative analysis was performed using Likert scale. Quantitative analyses were assessed using Friedman's rank-based analysis with Bonferroni correction.

Sixty-one female participants (mean age 49.07 years ± 11.0 [standard deviation]; age range 23-75 years) with 65 breast lesions were included in this study. All data were acquired using a 3 T MRI scanner. The MUSE DL yielded significant improvement in image quality compared with non-DL MUSE in both 2-shot and 4-shot settings (SNR enhancement FGT 2-shot DL 207.8 % [125.5-309.3],4- shot DL 175.1 % [102.2-223.5]). No significant difference was observed in the ADC between MUSE, MUSE DL, and SS-DWI in both benign (P = 0.154) and malignant tumors (P = 0.167). There was significantly less distortion in the 2- and 4-shot MUSE DL images (HD 3.11 mm, 2.58 mm) than in the SS-DWI images (4.15 mm, P < 0.001).

MUSE DL enhances SNR, minimizes image distortion, and preserves lesion diagnosis accuracy and ADC values.