Diffusion MRI of the Body: Beyond PGSE-EPI.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics
• Radiology

Background:

• Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is crucial for assessing tissue microstructure in clinical settings.
• Standard dMRI (PGSE-EPI) offers speed but suffers from low resolution and artifacts.
• Existing non-standard techniques, primarily developed for brain imaging, show promise for body applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review major non-standard diffusion encoding and image readout strategies in body dMRI.
• To explore the clinical applications of these advanced techniques in non-brain regions.
• To assess the strengths and benefits of various methods for different clinical contexts.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of diffusion encoding strategies (e.g., b-tensor encoding).
• Analysis of advanced image readout techniques (e.g., parallel imaging, compressed sensing).
• Evaluation of clinical case studies and reported outcomes for body dMRI applications.

Main Results:

• Non-standard techniques address limitations of PGSE-EPI, offering higher resolution and artifact mitigation.
• Specific methods demonstrate enhanced sensitivity to microstructural changes in various organs.
• Successful applications in diverse clinical scenarios, including oncology and neurology.

Conclusions:

• Non-standard dMRI techniques hold significant potential to enhance diagnostic value and efficiency in body imaging.
• Further standardization and validation are necessary for widespread clinical adoption.
• These advanced methods promise to expand the utility of dMRI beyond the brain.