von Falkenhausen Marcus M, Lutterbey Götz, Morakkabati-Spitz Nuschin, Walter Oliver, Gieseke Jürgen, Blömer Renate, Willinek Winfried A, Schild Hans H, Kuhl Christiane K
Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany.
Radiology. 2006 Oct;241(1):156-66. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2411051221. Epub 2006 Aug 14.
To prospectively evaluate whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver at 3.0 T is comparable to that at 1.5 T with respect to image artifacts, image quality, and diagnostic utility in terms of detection and characterization of focal liver lesions in patients with these lesions.
Patients provided informed consent after the study had been explained, and the institutional review board approved the study protocol. An intraindividual comparative study was performed in 21 patients (12 men and nine women; mean age, 58.7 years; range, 36-76 years) with a total of 79 focal liver lesions (benign and malignant) who were examined at 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging within 1 week. The imaging protocol consisted of T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (SE) sequences with or without fat suppression, as well as T1-weighted gradient-echo (GRE) sequences with or without gadolinium-based contrast agent. All images were rated independently by two radiologists with respect to types of artifacts (susceptibility, motion, pulsation, image homogeneity, and electrodynamic effects) and in regard to detectability and characterization of focal liver lesions. A modified sign test was used for statistical analysis (alpha < .2).
Motion artifacts were significantly more pronounced in non-fat-suppressed T2-weighted turbo SE images at 3.0 T (P = .03), whereas pulsation artifacts were more pronounced (P = .19) in precontrast T1-weighted GRE 1.5-T images. No statistically significant differences (P < .2) were observed for the remaining artifacts and sequences. Of the 79 index lesions, a total of 76 were prospectively identified at 1.5-T imaging and a total of 77 were identified at 3.0-T imaging.
MR imaging of the liver at 3.0 T, compared with that at 1.5 T, is feasible with equivalent image quality and diagnostic utility in terms of detection and characterization of focal liver lesions.
前瞻性评估3.0 T肝脏磁共振（MR）成像在图像伪影、图像质量以及对有局灶性肝病变患者局灶性肝病变的检测和特征描述方面的诊断效用是否与1.5 T相当。
在向患者解释研究情况后，患者签署知情同意书，机构审查委员会批准了研究方案。对21例患者（12例男性和9例女性；平均年龄58.7岁；范围36 - 76岁）进行个体内对比研究，这些患者共有79个局灶性肝病变（良性和恶性），在1周内分别接受了1.5 T和3.0 T MR成像检查。成像方案包括有或无脂肪抑制的T2加权快速自旋回波（SE）序列，以及有或无钆基对比剂的T1加权梯度回波（GRE）序列。两名放射科医生独立对所有图像的伪影类型（敏感性、运动、搏动、图像均匀性和电动效应）以及局灶性肝病变的可检测性和特征描述进行评分。采用改良符号检验进行统计分析（α < 0.2）。
在3.0 T非脂肪抑制的T2加权快速SE图像中，运动伪影明显更显著（P = 0.03），而在1.5 T对比剂前T1加权GRE图像中，搏动伪影更显著（P = 0.19）。其余伪影和序列未观察到统计学显著差异（P < 0.2）。在79个索引病变中，1.5 T成像前瞻性识别出76个，3.0 T成像识别出77个。
与1.5 T相比，3.0 T肝脏MR成像在局灶性肝病变的检测和特征描述方面具有同等的图像质量和诊断效用，是可行的。
