The Feasibility of a Fast Liver MRI Protocol for Lesion Detection of Adults at 3.0-T.

Jing Li,Bernd Kuehn,Qingsong Yang,Caixia Fu,Xinrui Wang,Jianping Lu,Chao Ma,Yukun Chen

doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.586343

Abstract

PurposeTo investigate the feasibility of a fast liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol for lesion detection in adults using 3.0-T MRI.MethodsA fast liver MRI exam protocol was proposed. The protocol included motion-resistant coronal T2-w sequence, axial T2-w fast spin echo sequence with fat suppression, axial in-op phase gradient recalled echo (GRE) T1, axial diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and axial contrast-enhanced T1 sequences. To evaluate the diagnostic capacity of the proposed protocol, 31 consecutive patients (20 males and 11 females; mean age, 53.2 years) underwent a liver MRI exam with conventional sequences, including the proposed protocol as a subset. Images from the conventional protocol and extracted abbreviated protocol were independently read, and the diagnostic concordance rate was assessed for each patient. The concordance analysis is presented as the proportion of concordant cases between the two protocols.ResultsThe net measurement time of the fast liver MRI protocol without adjustment and waiting time were 4 min and 28 s. In the 31 patients included in this study, 139 suspicious findings were found from both the conventional liver MR protocol and the fast liver MRI protocol. The diagnostic concordance rate was 96.4%.ConclusionsThe fast liver MRI protocol is feasible at 3.0-T, with a shorter exam time and high diagnostic concordance compared to the conventional liver MRI workflow.

Highlights

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established liver imaging modality in clinical practice, with the advantages of higher soft-tissue contrast and a lack of ionizing radiation exposure [1,2,3,4]
We propose a fast liver MRI protocol that is applicable for adult patients
Sample images of the fast liver MRI protocol are shown in Figure 2, which demonstrates the high lesion delineation capability for liver metastasis

Summary

Introduction

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established liver imaging modality in clinical practice, with the advantages of higher soft-tissue contrast and a lack of ionizing radiation exposure [1,2,3,4]. By multi-parametric capabilities, such as T1weighted, T2-weighted, and diffusion-weighted acquisition, MRI could offer the radiologist a more comprehensive evaluation of the liver characteristics compared to other imaging modalities, such as ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) [5]. MRI has several constraints including a higher cost, longer scanning time, and a higher demand for patient cooperation [4]. An efficient and effective imaging protocol is crucial to ensure the success of liver MRI exams. It will help to reduce the cost of the MRI exam and ease the pressure caused by the large patient population

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Discussion

Conclusion