TY - JOUR
T1 - Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of a Spiral Gradient Echo Sequence for Contrast-Enhanced Fat-Suppressed T1-Weighted Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging
AU - Sartoretti, Elisabeth
AU - Sartoretti, Thomas
AU - van Smoorenburg, Luuk
AU - Sartoretti-Schefer, Sabine
AU - Wyss, Michael
AU - Binkert, Christoph A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - Objectives Pulse sequences with non-Cartesian k-space sampling enable improved imaging in anatomical areas with high degrees of motion artifacts. We analyzed a novel spiral 3-dimensional (3D) gradient echo (GRE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence ("spiral," 114.7 +/- 11 seconds) and compared it with a radial 3D GRE ("vane," 216.7 +/- 2 seconds) and a conventional Cartesian 2D turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence ("TSE," 266.7 +/- 82 seconds) for contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted spine imaging. Materials and Methods Forty consecutive patients referred for contrast-enhanced MRI were prospectively scanned with all 3 sequences. A qualitative analysis was performed by 3 readers using 4- or 5-point Likert scales to independently grade images in terms of overall image quality, occurrence of artifacts, lesion conspicuity, and conspicuity of nerve roots. The numbers of visible nerve roots per sequence and patient were counted in consensus. Coefficient of variation measurements were performed for the paravertebral musculature (CVPM) and the spinal cord (CVSC). Results Spiral (median [interquartile range], 5 [4-5]) exhibited improved overall image quality in comparison to TSE (3 [3-4]) and vane (4 [4-5]; both P < 0.001). Vane surpassed TSE in terms of overall image quality (P < 0.001). Spiral (4 [3.75-4]) and vane (3.5 [3-4]) presented with less artifacts than TSE (3 [2.75-3.25]; both P < 0.001). Spiral (4 [4-5]) outperformed vane (4 [3-5]; P = 0.01) and TSE (4 [3-4]; P = 0.04) in terms of lesion conspicuity. Conspicuity of nerve roots was superior on spiral (3 [3-4]) and vane (4 [3-4]) when compared with TSE (1.5 [1-2]; both P < 0.001). Readers discerned significantly more nerve roots on spiral (4 [2.75-8]) and vane (4 [3.75-7.25]) images when compared with TSE (2 [0-4]; both P < 0.001). Interreader agreement ranged from moderate (alpha = 0.639) to almost perfect (alpha = 0.967). CVPM and CVSC were significantly lower on spiral as compared with vane and TSE (P < 0.001, P = 0.04). Vane exhibited lower CVPM and CVSC than TSE (P < 0.001, P = 0.01). Conclusions A novel spiral 3D GRE sequence improves contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted spinal imaging qualitatively and quantitatively in comparison with a conventional Cartesian 2D TSE sequence and to a lesser extent with a radial 3D GRE sequence at shorter scan times.
AB - Objectives Pulse sequences with non-Cartesian k-space sampling enable improved imaging in anatomical areas with high degrees of motion artifacts. We analyzed a novel spiral 3-dimensional (3D) gradient echo (GRE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence ("spiral," 114.7 +/- 11 seconds) and compared it with a radial 3D GRE ("vane," 216.7 +/- 2 seconds) and a conventional Cartesian 2D turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence ("TSE," 266.7 +/- 82 seconds) for contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted spine imaging. Materials and Methods Forty consecutive patients referred for contrast-enhanced MRI were prospectively scanned with all 3 sequences. A qualitative analysis was performed by 3 readers using 4- or 5-point Likert scales to independently grade images in terms of overall image quality, occurrence of artifacts, lesion conspicuity, and conspicuity of nerve roots. The numbers of visible nerve roots per sequence and patient were counted in consensus. Coefficient of variation measurements were performed for the paravertebral musculature (CVPM) and the spinal cord (CVSC). Results Spiral (median [interquartile range], 5 [4-5]) exhibited improved overall image quality in comparison to TSE (3 [3-4]) and vane (4 [4-5]; both P < 0.001). Vane surpassed TSE in terms of overall image quality (P < 0.001). Spiral (4 [3.75-4]) and vane (3.5 [3-4]) presented with less artifacts than TSE (3 [2.75-3.25]; both P < 0.001). Spiral (4 [4-5]) outperformed vane (4 [3-5]; P = 0.01) and TSE (4 [3-4]; P = 0.04) in terms of lesion conspicuity. Conspicuity of nerve roots was superior on spiral (3 [3-4]) and vane (4 [3-4]) when compared with TSE (1.5 [1-2]; both P < 0.001). Readers discerned significantly more nerve roots on spiral (4 [2.75-8]) and vane (4 [3.75-7.25]) images when compared with TSE (2 [0-4]; both P < 0.001). Interreader agreement ranged from moderate (alpha = 0.639) to almost perfect (alpha = 0.967). CVPM and CVSC were significantly lower on spiral as compared with vane and TSE (P < 0.001, P = 0.04). Vane exhibited lower CVPM and CVSC than TSE (P < 0.001, P = 0.01). Conclusions A novel spiral 3D GRE sequence improves contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted spinal imaging qualitatively and quantitatively in comparison with a conventional Cartesian 2D TSE sequence and to a lesser extent with a radial 3D GRE sequence at shorter scan times.
KW - spiral
KW - magnetic resonance imaging
KW - spine
KW - motion
KW - artifacts
KW - RADIAL VIBE
KW - BRAIN
KW - MRI
KW - HEAD
KW - LIVER
U2 - 10.1097/rli.0000000000000770
DO - 10.1097/rli.0000000000000770
M3 - Article
C2 - 33653993
SN - 0020-9996
VL - 56
SP - 517
EP - 524
JO - Investigative Radiology
JF - Investigative Radiology
IS - 8
ER -