Dynamic contrast-enhanced liver MRI in children: image quality comparison between GRASP-VIBE and CAIPIRINHA-VIBE

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Imaging

Background:

• Dynamic liver MRI is crucial for diagnosing pediatric liver conditions.
• Breath-hold sequences can be challenging for pediatric patients, potentially compromising image quality.
• GRASP-VIBE (free-breathing) and CAIPIRINHA-VIBE (breath-hold) are advanced MRI techniques for liver imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the subjective image quality of GRASP-VIBE and CAIPIRINHA-VIBE in dynamic liver MRI within a pediatric cohort.
• To determine which sequence provides superior image quality, particularly in children with limited breath-holding capacity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 70 pediatric patients undergoing 3T dynamic liver MRI with either GRASP-VIBE or CAIPIRINHA-VIBE.
• Independent review of 640 image pairs across four contrast phases by two radiologists using a forced-choice paradigm.
• Analysis of inter- and intra-reader agreement using binomial tests and Cohen's kappa.

Main Results:

• GRASP-VIBE was significantly preferred over CAIPIRINHA-VIBE in all contrast-enhanced phases (arterial, portal venous, delayed venous) (p < 0.001).
• Preference for GRASP-VIBE was highest in older children, adolescents, and those not under anesthesia.
• No significant difference in preference was noted for the pre-contrast phase (p = 0.45).

Conclusions:

• GRASP-VIBE demonstrates superior subjective image quality compared to CAIPIRINHA-VIBE for pediatric dynamic liver MRI.
• The free-breathing nature of GRASP-VIBE is advantageous for pediatric patients, especially those unable to perform breath-holds.
• GRASP-VIBE facilitates high-quality dynamic pediatric liver MRI, potentially reducing the need for sedation or anesthesia.