Evaluation of multiple-arterial-phase aquisition and image quality in gadoxetate acid disodium enhanced liver MRI using differential sub-sampling with cartesian ordering technique: a comparative study with single arterial phase

Abstract

Objective To investigate the application value of multiple-arterial-phase imaging technique with differential sub-sampling with cartesian ordering (DISCO) in the gadoxetate acid disodium enhanced liver MRI. Methods From September 2017 to March 2018, 56 patients with suspected malignant focal liver disease diagnosed with ultrasound or CT in West China Hospital of Sichuan University were enrolled prospectively, and underwent preoperative enhanced MRI with gadoxetate acid disodium. Patients were divided into 2 groups by random-number table method. Twenty nine patients in group A underwent liver multiple-arterial-phase imaging with DISCO. Twenty seven patients in group B underwent single-arterial-phase imaging with liver acquisition with volume acceleration-flex (LAVA-Flex). The display rate of late-arterial-phase and respiratory motion artifacts of dynamic enhancement images were evaluated. The categorical variables was compared by Chi-square test. The respiratory motion artifacts between the single-arterial-phase and multiple-arterial-phases were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. The artifact scores among the various phases of the multi-arterial phase were compared by Kruskal-Wallis H. Results Compared to LAVA-Flex [74.1%(20/27)], a higher display rate of late-arterial phase [96.6%(28/29)] was found in DISCO (Group A), and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=5.770, P=0.016). In the evaluation of respiratory motion artifacts, the motion artifacts of the late-arterial images obtained by LAVA-Flex [3(3,4)] were more severe than the DISCO [2(2,3)], and the difference was statistically significant (Z=-3.250, P 0.05). Conclusion Compared with single-arterial-phase imaging, multiple-arterial-phases with DISCO using gadoxetate acid disodium can improve the capture rate of late arterial phase and reduce motion artifacts. Key words: Liver; Late-arterial phase; Magnetic resonance imaging; Gadoxetate acid disodium