Fast MR imaging of the liver: quantitative comparison of techniques.

PURPOSE

To compare several techniques for fast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of focal liver lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety patients (37 men and 53 women, aged 19-92 years [mean, 54 years]) with 137 focal liver lesions (56 metastases, 13 hepatocellular carcinomas, 52 hemangiomas, 16 cysts) underwent MR imaging with rapid acquisition spin-echo (RASE), T1-weighted fast low-angle shot (FLASH), turboFLASH, segmented turboFLASH, and T2-weighted conventional and turbo spin echo (SE). Images were analyzed for spleen-to-liver and lesion-to-liver signal difference-to-noise ratios (SD/Ns).

RESULTS

Turbo SE T2-weighted imaging had the highest SD/N for spleen-to-liver (P < .01) and for lesion-to-liver (P < .02) contrast. Segmented T1-weighted turboFLASH imaging had the second highest SD/N for spleen-to-liver (P < .001) contrast and was better overall than other T1-weighted sequences for depicting liver lesions (P < .01). Results at segmented turboFLASH imaging were second best for hemangiomas (P < .01). For metastases, no significant difference was found for results with the T1-weighted sequences.

CONCLUSION

Segmented T1-weighted turboFLASH and turbo SE T2-weighted imaging hae advantages over conventional techniques for liver imaging.