Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction Research Articles

Synthetic temporal bone CT generation from UTE-MRI using a cycleGAN-based deep learning model: advancing beyond CT-MR imaging fusion.

The aim of this study is to develop a deep-learning model to create synthetic temporal bone computed tomography (CT) images from ultrashort echo-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, thereby addressing the intrinsic limitations of MRI in localizing anatomic landmarks in temporal bone CT. This retrospective study included patients who underwent temporal MRI and temporal bone CT within one month between April 2020 and March 2023. These patients were randomly divided into training and validation datasets. A CycleGAN model for generating synthetic temporal bone CT images was developed using temporal bone CT and pointwise encoding-time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA). To assess the model's performance, the pixel count in mastoid air cells was measured. Two neuroradiologists evaluated the successful generation rates of 11 anatomical landmarks. A total of 102 patients were included in this study (training dataset, n = 54, mean age 58 ± 14, 34 females (63%); validation dataset, n = 48, mean age 61 ± 13, 29 females (60%)). In the pixel count of mastoid air cells, no difference was observed between synthetic and real images (679 ± 342 vs 738 ± 342, p = 0.13). For the six major anatomical sites, the positive generation rates were 97-100%, whereas those of the five major anatomical structures ranged from 24% to 83%. We developed a model to generate synthetic temporal bone CT images using PETRA MRI. This model can provide information regarding the major anatomic sites of the temporal bone using MRI. The proposed algorithm addresses the primary limitations of MRI in localizing anatomic sites within the temporal bone. CT is preferred for imaging the temporal bone, but has limitations in differentiating pathology there. The model achieved a high success rate in generating synthetic images of six anatomic sites. This can overcome the limitations of MRI in visualizing key anatomic sites in the temporal skull.

Diagnostic Performance of Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction with Radial Acquisition Subtraction-based MR Angiography in the Follow-up of Intracranial Aneurysms after Clipping.

While follow-up assessment of clipped aneurysms (CAs) using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can be challenging due to susceptibility artifacts, anovel MRA sequence pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) subtraction-based MRA, has been developed to reduce these artifacts. The aim of the study was to validate the diagnostic performance of PETRA-MRA by comparing it with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as areference for follow-up of CAs using a 3T MR scanner. Patients with clipping who underwent both PETRA-MRA and DSA between September 2019 and December 2021 were retrospectively included. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed with the reconstructed images of PETRA-MRA to assess the visibility of the arteries around the clips and aneurysm recurrence or remnants of CA using a3-point scale. The diagnostic accuracy of PETRA-MRA was evaluated in comparison to DSA. The study included 34patients (28females, mean age 59 ± 9.6years) with 48CAs. The PETRA-MRA allowed visualization of the parent vessels around the clips in 98% of cases, compared to 39% with time-of-flight (TOF) MRA (p < 0.0001). The DSA confirmed 14 (29.2%) residual or recurrent aneurysms. The PETRA-MRA demonstrated a high accuracy, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 99.2%, 100%, 100%, and 97.8%, respectively, while the sensitivity was 66.7%. This retrospective study demonstrates that PETRA-MRA provides excellent visibility of adjacent vessels near clips and has ahigh diagnostic accuracy in detecting aneurysm remnants or recurrences in CAs. Further prospective studies are warranted to establish its utility as areliable alternative for follow-up after clipping.

Feasibility and clinical implementation of MRI-guided surface brachytherapy.

Best practices for high-dose-rate surface applicator brachytherapy treatment (SABT) have long relied on computed tomography (CT)-based imaging to visualize diseased sites for treatment planning. Compared with magnetic resonance (MR)-based imaging, CT provides insufficient soft tissue contrast. This work described the feasibility of clinical implementation of MR-based imaging in SABT planning to provide individualized treatment optimization. A 3D-printed phantom was used to fit Freiberg flap-style (Elekta, The Netherlands) applicator. Images were taken using an optimized pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) MR sequence for catheter visualization, and a helical CT scan to generate parallel treatment plans. This clinical study included three patients undergoing SABT for Dupuytren's contracture/palmar fascial fibromatosis imaged with the same modalities.SABT planning was performed in Oncentra Brachy (Elekta Brachytherapy, The Netherlands) treatment planning software. A geometric analysis was conducted by comparing CT-based digitization with MR-based digitization. CT and MR dwell positions underwent a rigid registration, and average Euclidean distances between dwell positions were calculated. A dosimetric comparison was performed, including point-based dose difference calculations and volumetric segmentations with Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) calculations. Euclidean distances between dwell positions from CT-based and MR-based plans were on average 0.68 ±0.05 mm and 1.35 ±0.17 mm for the phantom and patients, respectively. The point dose difference calculations were on average 0.92% for the phantom and 1.98% for the patients. The D95 and D90 DSC calculations were both 97.9% for the phantom, and on average 93.6% and 94.2%, respectively, for the patients. The sub-millimeter accuracy of dwell positions and high DSC's (> 0.95) of the phantom demonstrated that digitization was clinically acceptable, and accurate treatment plans were produced using MR-only imaging. This novel approach, MRI-guided SABT, will lead to individualized prescriptions for potentially improved patient outcomes.

The value of magnetic resonance ultrashort echo time imaging to evaluate non-calcified cartilage of the knee joint and its damage

ObjectivesTo image knee osteochondral specimens using magnetic resonance (MR) ultrashort echo time imaging with pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition combined fat suppression (PETRA-FS) sequence to determine whether it can reveal non-calcified cartilage, including the deep radial layer, and to assess its effectiveness in cartilage damage diagnosis. Materials and methodsPETRA-FS imaging was performed on 58 osteochondral specimens of the lower femur and upper tibia to observe depth of cartilage damage, combined with histological results to observe signal intensity composition. Sensitivity, specificity, and reliability of PETRA-FS sequence for diagnosing cartilage damage were evaluated using histological results as the gold standard. Diagnostic efficacy was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. ResultsMR ultrashort echo time imaging PETRA-FS sequence showed non-calcified cartilage, including tangential, transitional, and radial layers, which showed a high signal. PETRA-FS sequence showed 37 cases of cartilage damage and 21 cases of no damage among 58 specimens, kappa value of 0.75. Histological analysis of the 58 osteochondral specimens revealed 38 cases of cartilage injury and 20 cases of undamaged cartilage. Using histological results as the gold standard, PETRA-FS sequence had a sensitivity of 87.00%, specificity of 80.00%, kappa value of 0.81, and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.83 for cartilage injury diagnosis. ConclusionMR ultrashort echo time imaging PETRA-FS sequence can show non-calcified cartilage, including the deep radial layer (which cannot be shown by conventional MR), by exhibiting a high signal in knee osteo-chondral specimens. Thus, PETRA-FS sequences may have important diagnostic value for cartilage injury diagnosis.

Catheter reconstruction and dosimetric verification of MRI-only treatment planning (MRTP) for interstitial HDR brachytherapy using PETRA sequence

Objective. The feasibility of MRI-only treatment planning (MRTP) for interstitial high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) was investigated for patients diagnosed with gynecologic cancer. Approach. A clinical MRTP workflow utilizing a ‘pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA)’ sequence was proposed. This is a clinically available MRI sequence optimized to improve interstitial catheter-tissue contrast. Interstitial needles outside the obturator region were reconstructed using MR images only. For catheters penetrating through the obturator, a library-based reconstruction was proposed. In this work, dwell coordinates from the clinical CT-based reconstruction were used as the surrogate for the library-based approach. For MR-only plan, dwell times were activated and assigned as in the clinical plans. The catheter reconstruction was assessed by comparing dwell position coordinates. The dosimetric comparisons between a clinical plan and MR-only plan were assessed for physical and EQD2 dose and volume parameters for D 90, D 50 and D 98 for clinical target volume (CTV) and D 2cc, D 0.1cc and D 5cc for OARs. Main results. Catheter reconstruction was possible using the optimized PETRA sequence on MR images. An overall reconstruction difference of 1.7 ± 0.5 mm, attributed to registration-based errors, was found compared to the CT-based reconstruction. The MRTP workflow has the potential to generate a treatment plan with an equivalent dosimetric quality compared to the conventional CT/MRI-based approach. For CTV D 90, physical and EQD2 dose and volume parameter differences were 1.5 ± 1.9% and 0.7 ± 1.0 Gy, respectively. For D 2cc OARs, DVH (EQD2) differences were −0.4 ± 1.1% (−0.2 ± 0.5 Gy), 0.5 ± 2.8% (0.2 ± 1.3 Gy) and −0.5 ± 1.4% (−0.2 ± 0.5 Gy) for rectum, bladder, and sigmoid, respectively. Significance. With the proposed MRTP approach, CT imaging may no longer be needed in HDR BT for interstitial gynecologic treatment. A proof-of-concept study was conducted to demonstrated that MRTP using PETRA is feasible, with comparable dosimetric results to the conventional CT/MRI-based approach.

Use of PETRA-MRA to assess intracranial arterial stenosis: Comparison with TOF-MRA, CTA, and DSA.

Non-invasive and accurate assessment of intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) is important for the evaluation of intracranial atherosclerotic disease. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of 3D pointwise encoding time reduction magnetic resonance angiography (PETRA-MRA) and compare its performance with that of 3D time-of-flight (TOF) MRA and computed tomography angiography (CTA), using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard in measuring the degree of stenosis and lesion length. This single-center, prospective study included a total of 52 patients (mean age 57 ± 11 years, 27 men, 25 women) with 90 intracranial arterial stenoses who underwent PETRA-MRA, TOF-MRA, CTA, and DSA within 1 month. The degree of stenosis and lesion length were measured independently by two radiologists on these four datasets. The degree of stenosis was classified according to DSA measurement. Severe stenosis was defined as a single lesion with >70% diameter stenosis. The smaller artery stenosis referred to the stenosis, which occurred at the anterior cerebral artery, middle cerebral artery, and posterior cerebral artery, except for the first segment of them. The continuous variables were compared using paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess the agreement between MRAs/CTA and DSA as well as inter-reader variabilities. The ICC value >0.80 indicated excellent agreement. The agreement of data was assessed further by Bland-Altman analysis and Spearman's correlation coefficients. When the difference between MRAs/CTA and DSA was statistically significant in the degree of stenosis, the measurement of MRAs/CTA was larger than that of DSA, which referred to the overestimation of MRAs/CTA for the degree of stenosis. The four imaging methods exhibited excellent inter-reader agreement [intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) > 0.80]. PETRA-MRA was more consistent with DSA than with TOF-MRA and CTA in measuring the degree of stenosis (ICC = 0.94 vs. 0.79 and 0.89) and lesion length (ICC = 0.99 vs. 0.97 and 0.73). PETRA-MRA obtained the highest specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) than TOF-MRA and CTA for detecting stenosis of >50% and stenosis of >75%. TOF-MRA and CTA overestimated considerably the degree of stenosis compared with DSA (63.0% ± 15.8% and 61.0% ± 18.6% vs. 54.0% ± 18.6%, P < 0.01, respectively), whereas PETRA-MRA did not overestimate (P = 0.13). The degree of stenosis acquired on PETRA-MRA was also more consistent with that on DSA than with that on TOF-MRA and CTA in severe stenosis (ICC = 0.78 vs. 0.30 and 0.57) and smaller artery stenosis (ICC = 0.95 vs. 0.70 and 0.80). In anterior artery circulation stenosis, PETRA-MRA also achieved a little bigger ICC than TOF-MRA and CTA in measuring the degree of stenosis (0.93 vs. 0.78 and 0.88). In posterior artery circulation stenosis, PETRA-MRA had a bigger ICC than TOF-MRA (0.94 vs. 0.71) and a comparable ICC to CTA (0.94 vs. 0.91) in measuring the degree of stenosis. PETRA-MRA is more accurate than TOF-MRA and CTA for the evaluation of intracranial stenosis and lesion length when using DSA as a reference standard. PETRA-MRA is a promising non-invasive tool for ICAS assessment.

PO27 Presentation Time: 7:40 AM: Library-Based MRI-Only Treatment Planning (MRTP) for a Venezia Applicator Using MRI for Catheter Detection

<h3>Purpose</h3> Interstitial HDR brachytherapy currently requires CT, in addition to MRI, to complete the treatment planning workflow. CT is necessary to visualize and localize catheters and template, while MRI is needed for delineation of the clinical target volume (CTV) and the organs-at-risk (OARs). An MRI-only treatment plan/planning (MRTP) approach that can eliminate CT from the workflow using an optimized ‘Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction with Radial Acquisition (PETRA)' MRI, is proposed. Typically, applicators lack MR contrast, making MRI-based digitization difficult for catheters within the applicator. The feasibility of utilizing an applicator library to complete MRTP in gynecological patients was investigated for a Venezia applicator. The clinical translation feasibility of MRTP was evaluated by conducting dosimetric comparisons between the MRTP and the clinical treatment plan (CTP). <h3>Materials and Methods</h3> An optimized PETRA MRI (TR\TE 3.3\0.7ms) was acquired on a 3T MAGNETOM Vida (Siemens) in three gynecological cancer patients treated using a Venezia applicator (Elekta) and interstitial needles. A library-based applicator model tool available on Oncentra Brachy TPS was used to aid catheter digitization of applicators. The library of Venezia applicator was used to digitize two lunar ovoids and tandem. Interstitial needles were manually digitized based on negative contrast between needles and surrounding tissue. The MRTP was generated by activating and assigning the same dwell times as in the CTP. The catheter displacements between two approaches were assessed by comparing dwell positions following the CT-to-MR transformation, as well as the displacement in catheter tip depth. The DVH and EQD₂ metrics for the CTV D₉₀ and the OARs D_2cc (rectum, bladder and sigmoid) were compared between CTP and MRTP. <h3>Results</h3> MRTP workflow corresponded to the average tip depth difference of -1.58 ± 2.49 mm, 0.50 ± 1.55 mm, and -0.38 ± 1.17 mm for lunar ovoids, tandem, and interstitial needles, respectively, compared to the conventional CT-based approach. Differences in catheter displacements were 3.34 ± 1.38mm, 2.49 ± 0.23mm and 2.26 ± 0.48 mm for lunar ovoids, tandem and interstitial needles, respectively. These differences corresponded to absolute DVH differences of -2%, -1% and 3% for CTV D₉₀ in these three patients. The average absolute DVH differences were -3.44 ± 0.02%, 1.77 ± 0.02%, and -0.98 ± 0.02% for OARs (rectum, bladder and sigmoid, respectively). The average relative total EQD2 differences were 0.12 ± 0.02%, -2.62 ± 0.01%, 1.41 ± 0.01% and -0.71 ± 0.02% for CTV, rectum, bladder, and sigmoid, respectively. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Preliminary implementation feasibility of a library-based MRTP for a Venezia applicator was demonstrated in three gynecologic cancer patients.

Follow-up imaging of clipped intracranial aneurysms with 3-T MRI: comparison between 3D time-of-flight MR angiography and pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition subtraction-based MR angiography.

Metallic susceptibility artifact due to implanted clips is a major limitation of using 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) for follow-up imaging of clipped aneurysms (CAs). The purpose of this study was to compare pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) subtraction-based MRA with TOF-MRA in terms of imaging quality and visibility of clip-adjacent arteries for use in follow-up imaging of CAs. Sixty-two patients with 73 CAs were included retrospectively in this comparative study. All patients underwent PETRA-MRA after TOF-MRA performed simultaneously with 3-T MRI between September 2019 and March 2020. Two neuroradiologists independently compared images obtained with both MRA modalities to evaluate overall image quality using a 4-point scale and visibility of the parent artery and branching vessels near the clips using a 3-point scale. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the number of clips (less-clipped [1-2 clips] vs more-clipped [≥ 3 clips] aneurysms). The ability to detect aneurysm recurrence was also assessed. Compared with TOF-MRA, PETRA-MRA showed acceptable image quality (score of 3.97 ± 0.18 for TOF-MRA vs 3.73 ± 0.53 for PETRA-MRA) and had greater visibility of the adjacent vessels near the CAs (score of 1.25 ± 0.59 for TOF-MRA vs 2.27 ± 0.75 for PETRA-MRA, p < 0.0001). PETRA-MRA had greater visibility of vessels adjacent to less-clipped aneurysms (score of 2.39 ± 0.75 for less-clipped aneurysms vs 2.09 ± 0.72 for more-clipped aneurysms, p = 0.014). Of 73 CAs, aneurysm recurrence in 4 cases was detected using PETRA-MRA. This study demonstrated that PETRA-MRA is superior to TOF-MRA for visualizing adjacent vessels near clips and can be an advantageous alternative to TOF-MRA for follow-up imaging of CAs.

First pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) implementation for catheter detection in interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy

PURPOSEA pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) sequence was optimized to detect empty catheters in interstitial (HDR) brachytherapy with clinically acceptable spatial accuracy for the first time. Image quality and catheter detectability were assessed in phantoms, and the feasibility of PETRA's clinical implementation was assessed on a gynecological cancer patient. METHODS AND RESULTSEmpty catheters embedded in a gelatin phantom displayed positive signal on PETRA and more accurate cross-sections than on clinically employed T2-weighted sequences, differing by 0.4 mm on average from their nominal 2 mm diameter. PETRA presented minimal susceptibility differences and a symmetric metal artifact, contrary to the clinical sequences. The PETRA-CT catheter tip position differences assessed by a treatment planning system (TPS) were < 1 mm. PETRA also detected an interstitial template with empty catheters penetrating a poultry phantom and fused very well with CT. Interstitial catheter positional difference between PETRA and CT images was < 1 mm on average, increasing with distance from isocenter. All interstitial catheters and the employed interstitial template were detected on PETRA images of an endometrial adenocarcinoma patient. Empty needles were traceable using a TPS, with higher spatial resolution and more favorable contrast than on T2-weighted images used for contouring. A treatment plan could be produced by combining information from PETRA for catheter detection and from T2-weighted images for tumor and organs delineation. CONCLUSIONSPETRA detected successfully and accurately interstitial catheters in phantoms. Its first clinical implementation shows a potential for MR-only treatment planning in interstitial HDR brachytherapy.

Synthetic Time of Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography Generation Model Based on Cycle-Consistent Generative Adversarial Network Using PETRA-MRA in the Patients With Treated Intracranial Aneurysm.

Pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is useful for evaluating intracranial aneurysm recurrence, but the problem of severe background noise and low peripheral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) remain. Deep learning could reduce noise using high- and low-quality images. To develop a cycle-consistent generative adversarial network (cycleGAN)-based deep learning model to generate synthetic TOF (synTOF) using PETRA. Retrospective. A total of 377 patients (mean age: 60 ± 11; 293 females) with treated intracranial aneurysms who underwent both PETRA and TOF from October 2017 to January 2021. Data were randomly divided into training (49.9%, 188/377) and validation (50.1%, 189/377) groups. Ultra-short echo time and TOF-MRA on a 3-T MR system. For the cycleGAN model, the peak SNR (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) were evaluated. Image quality was compared qualitatively (5-point Likert scale) and quantitatively (SNR). A multireader diagnostic optimality evaluation was performed with 17 radiologists (experience of 1-18 years). Generalized estimating equation analysis, Friedman's test, McNemar test, and Spearman's rank correlation. P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. The PSNR and SSIM between synTOF and TOF were 17.51 [16.76; 18.31] dB and 0.71 ± 0.02. The median values of overall image quality, noise, sharpness, and vascular conspicuity were significantly higher for synTOF than for PETRA (4.00 [4.00; 5.00] vs. 4.00 [3.00; 4.00]; 5.00 [4.00; 5.00] vs. 3.00 [2.00; 4.00]; 4.00 [4.00; 4.00] vs. 4.00 [3.00; 4.00]; 3.00 [3.00; 4.00] vs. 3.00 [2.00; 3.00]). The SNRs of the middle cerebral arteries were the highest for synTOF (synTOF vs. TOF vs. PETRA; 63.67 [43.25; 105.00] vs. 52.42 [32.88; 74.67] vs. 21.05 [12.34; 37.88]). In the multireader evaluation, there was no significant difference in diagnostic optimality or preference between synTOF and TOF (19.00 [18.00; 19.00] vs. 20.00 [18.00; 20.00], P=0.510; 8.00 [6.00; 11.00] vs. 11.00 [9.00, 14.00], P=1.000). The cycleGAN-based deep learning model provided synTOF free from background artifact. The synTOF could be a versatile alternative to TOF in patients who have undergone PETRA for evaluating treated aneurysms. 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

Single point imaging with radial acquisition and compressed sensing.

To accelerate the Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction with Radial Acquisition(PETRA) sequence using compressed sensing while preserving the image quality for high-resolution MRI of tissue with ultra-short values. Compressed sensing was introduced in the PETRA sequence(csPETRA) to accelerate the time-consuming single point acquisition of the k-space center data. Random undersampling was applied to achieve acceleration factors up to Acc=32. Phantom and in vivo images of the knee joint of six volunteers were measured at 3T using csPETRA sequence with Acc=4, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32. Images were compared against fully sampled PETRA data(Acc=1) for structural similarity and normalized-mean-square-error. Qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses were performed to assess the effect of the acceleration on image artifacts, image quality, and delineation of anatomical structures at the knee. Even at high acceleration factors of Acc=16 no aliasing artifacts were observed, and the anatomical details were preserved compared with the fully sampled data. The normalized-mean-square-error was less than 1% for Acc=16, in which single point imaging acquisition time was reduced from 165 to 10s, reducing the total scan time from 7.8 to 5.2min. Semi-quantitative analyses suggest that Acc=16 yields comparable diagnostic quality as the fully sampled data for knee imaging at a scan time of 5.2min. csPETRA allows for ultra-short imaging of the knee joint in clinically acceptable scan times while maintaining the image quality of original non-accelerated PETRA sequence.

Impact of acceleration on bone depiction quality by ultrashort echo time magnetic resonance bone imaging sequences in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw

ObjectivesTo assess the impact on bone depiction quality by decreasing number of radial acquisitions (RA) of a UTE MR bone imaging sequence in MRONJ. Material and methodsUTE MR bone imaging sequences using pointwise encoding time reduction with RA (PETRA) with 60’000, 30’000 and 10’000 RA were acquired in 16 patients with MRONJ and 16 healthy volunteers. Blinded readout sessions were performed by two radiologists. Qualitative analysis compared the detection of osteolytic lesions and productive bony changes in the PETRA sequences of the patients with MRONJ. Quantitative analysis assessed the differences in image artifacts, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and image noise. ResultsAcquisition times were reduced from 315 to 165 and 65 s (60’000, 30’000, 10’000 RA, respectively), resulting in a fewer number of severe motion artifacts. Bone delineation was increasingly blurred when reducing the number of RA but without any trade-off in terms of diagnostic performance. Interreader agreement for the detection of pathognomonic osteolysis was moderate (κ = 0.538) for 60’000 RA and decreased to fair (κ = 0.227 and κ = 0.390) when comparing 30’000 and 10’000 RA, respectively. Image quality between sequences was comparable regarding CNR, image noise and artifact dimensions without significant differences (all P > 0.05). ConclusionsUTE MR bone imaging sequences with a lower number of RA provide sufficient image quality for detecting osteolytic lesions and productive bony changes in MRONJ subjects at faster acquisition times compared to the respective standard UTE MR bone imaging sequence.

Comparison of contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging using DANTE-SPACE, PETRA, and MPRAGE: a clinical evaluation of brain tumors at 3 Tesla.

We aimed to compare the performance of three contrast-enhanced T1-weighted three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) sequences to detect brain tumors at 3 Tesla. The three sequences were: (I) delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution (DANTE-SPACE), (II) pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA), and (III) magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo (MPRAGE). This study involved 77 consecutive patients, including 34 patients with known primary brain tumors and 43 patients suspected of intracranial metastases. All patients underwent each of the three sequences with comparable spatial resolution and acquisition time post-injection. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) for lesion/GM, lesion/WM, and GM/WM were quantitatively compared. Two radiologists determined the total number of enhancing lesions by consensus. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between the two radiologists for metastases presence, qualitative ratings for image quality, and acoustic noise level of each sequence were assessed. Among the three sequences, SNRs and CNRs between lesions and surrounding parenchyma were highest using DANTE-SPACE, but CNRWM/GM was the lowest with DANTE-SPACE. SNRs for PETRA images were significantly higher than those for MPRAGE (P<0.001). CNRs between lesions and surrounding parenchyma were similar for PETRA and MPRAGE (P>0.05). Significantly more brain metastases were detected with DANTE-SPACE (n=94) compared with MPRAGE (n=71) and PETRA (n=72). The ICCs were 0.964 for MPRAGE, 0.975 for PETRA, and 0.973 for DANTE-SPACE. Qualitative scores for lesion imaging using DANTE-SPACE were significantly higher than those obtained with PETRA and MPRAGE (P=0.002 and P=0.004, respectively). The acoustic noise level for PETRA (64.45 dB) was significantly lower than that for MPRAGE (78.27 dB, P<0.01) and DANTE-SPACE (80.18 dB, P<0.01). PETRA achieves comparable detection of brain tumors with MPRAGE and is preferred for depicting osseous metastases and meningeal enhancement. DANTE-SPACE with blood vessel suppression showed improved detection of cerebral metastases compared with MPRAGE and PETRA, which could be helpful for the differential diagnosis of tumors.

Usefulness of Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction with Radial Acquisition-Magnetic Resonance Angiography after Endovascular Treatment for Intracranial Aneurysms.

Imaging follow-up after endovascular treatment is important; however, time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) has limitations associated with magnetic susceptibility and radiofrequency shielding caused by the stent and coils. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA)-MRA after endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms. A total of 186 patients with 211 aneurysms who underwent both pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition- and time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography in the same imaging session for follow-up after endovascular treatment. We subjectively graded the overall image quality, visualization of treated sites, and occlusion status. Although the overall image quality scores of pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition-magnetic resonance angiography were significantly lower than those of time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography for both observers (4.04 ± 0.81 vs. 4.85 ± 0.35 [observer 1], 4.60 ± 0.69 vs. 4.94 ± 0.24 [observer 2]) (both P < .001), the visibility of treated sites using pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition-magnetic resonance angiography was significantly better than that of time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography overall (4.27 ± 0.97 vs. 3.42 ± 1.01; P < .001), in the distal internal carotid artery (4.46 ± 0.79 vs. 3.40 ± 1.00; P < .001), and in the middle cerebral artery (4.19 ± 0.93 vs. 3.08 ± 0.53, P = 0.007). Pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition-magnetic resonance angiography showed a higher area under the curve than time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography for the evaluation of treated aneurysm occlusion, except for posterior circulation aneurysms. Pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition-magnetic resonance angiography showed better visualization of treated sites and better diagnostic performance than time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography for anterior circulation aneurysms. However, Pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition-magnetic resonance angiography showed limitations in the follow-up evaluation of posterior circulation aneurysms.

Ultrashort Echo Time Magnetic Resonance Angiography in Follow-up of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated With Endovascular Coiling: Comparison of Time-of-Flight, Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction With Radial Acquisition, and Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Ultrashort Echo Time Magnetic Resonance Angiography in Follow-up of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated With Endovascular Coiling: Comparison of Time-of-Flight, Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction With Radial Acquisition, and Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Feasibility of magnetic resonance-only high-dose-rate surface brachytherapy for clinical application.

In this article, we investigate the feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR)-only imaging for high-dose-rate (HDR) surface brachytherapy (SABT). We examined whether a standard CT-based planning can be replaced with an MR-only planning. For this purpose, the MRI digitization and plan quality check processes were compared against the standard CT-based processes. A prospective clinical implementation of the MR-only planning was evaluated on a clinical data set. A pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) sequence was optimized for visualization of Freiburg flap (FF) on MR images. MR and conventional CT images were acquired with a FF applicator (Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden) placed on the following phantoms: (1) flat styrofoam (FST), FF locked-in placed with supporting structure; (2) cast-made facemask, and (3) porcine leg (PL). Catheters were digitized and activated with 10mm step size on Oncentra Brachy 4.5.3 Treatment Planning System. The CT-only and MR-only treatment plans were generated by optimizing the dose to the target defined as volume at 3mm skin depth. To compare the plans, the MRI-to-CT alignment was performed via rigid registration. Positional displacements of dwell positions between CT and MR plans were compared on the FST phantom and the relative percent dose difference in 2210 different points from CT or MR-only plans was compared. For all three phantoms, the comparabilities between CT and MR-only plans were assessed by calculating dice similarity coefficient (DSC) for volumes enclosing 150%, 125%, 100%, 95%, 90%, 80%, and 65% isodose lines (V150 -V65 ). The MR images of FF placed on the forearm of a healthy subject were acquired with this optimized PETRA sequence and used for treatment planning. The relative percent dose was calculated on 140 representative points placed at 3mm skin depth to evaluate the dose to the skin. Using the optimized PETRA sequence, MRTP digitization accuracy was<1mm in each dimension and on three-dimensional (3D) displacement for the FST phantom. In each phantom and clinical data set, it was possible to generate MR-only treatment plans with the 3mm skin depth prescription. In the FST phantom, the mean relative dose at the points was not significantly different(<0.1% difference) for CT or MR-based plans. The assessment of similarities in dose profiles between CT and MR-only plans' provided DSC values greater than 0.96, 0.92, and 0.73 for all volumes enclosing up to 100%, 125%, and 150% isodose lines, respectively. The feasibility of generating a HDR treatment plan with FF using MR-only has been evaluated in phantoms with varying geometry and for a clinical data set. The optimization of a standard MRI sequence-PETRA-implemented in this study showed that FF-based catheters can be digitized and a plan can be generated using only MRI. The resulting MR-only plans were comparable to the conventional CT-based plans, suggesting that MRI alone can generate clinically acceptable plans for FF in phantoms and on a clinical data set. Reliable MR-only treatment planning could improve treatment prescription through more accurate characterization of soft tissue targets.

The Use of Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction With Radial Acquisition MRA to Assess Middle Cerebral Artery Stenosis Pre- and Post-stent Angioplasty: Comparison With 3D Time-of-Flight MRA and DSA.

Background and Purpose: 3D pointwise encoding time reduction magnetic resonance angiography (PETRA-MRA) is a promising non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technique for intracranial stenosis assessment but it has not been adequately validated against digital subtraction angiography (DSA) relative to 3D-time-of-flight (3D-TOF) MRA. The aim of this study was to compare PETRA-MRA and 3D-TOF-MRA using DSA as the reference standard for intracranial stenosis assessment before and after angioplasty and stenting in patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis.Materials and Methods: Sixty-two patients with MCA stenosis (age 53 ± 12 years, 43 males) underwent MRA and DSA within a week for pre-intervention evaluation and 32 of them had intracranial angioplasty and stenting performed. The MRAs' image quality, flow visualization within the stents, and susceptibility artifact were graded on a 1–4 scale (1 = poor, 4 = excellent) independently by three radiologists. The degree of stenosis was measured by two radiologists independently on DSA and MRAs.Results: There was an excellent inter-observer agreement for stenosis assessment on PETRA-MRA, 3D-TOF-MRA, and DSA (ICCs > 0.90). For pre-intervention evaluation, PETRA-MRA had better image quality than 3D-TOF-MRA (3.87 ± 0.34 vs. 3.38 ± 0.65, P < 0.001), and PETRA-MRA had better agreement with DSA for stenosis measurements compared to 3D-TOF-MRA (r = 0.96 vs. r = 0.85). For post-intervention evaluation, PETRA-MRA had better image quality than 3D-TOF-MRA for in-stent flow visualization and susceptibility artifacts (3.34 ± 0.60 vs. 1.50 ± 0.76, P < 0.001; 3.31 ± 0.64 vs. 1.41 ± 0.61, P < 0.001, respectively), and better agreement with DSA for stenosis measurements than 3D-TOF-MRA (r = 0.90 vs. r = 0.26). 3D-TOF-MRA significantly overestimated the stenosis post-stenting compared to DSA (84.9 ± 19.7 vs. 39.3 ± 13.6%, p < 0.001) while PETRA-MRA didn't (40.6 ± 13.7 vs. 39.3 ± 13.6%, p = 0.18).Conclusions: PETRA-MRA is accurate and reproducible for quantifying MCA stenosis both pre- and post-stenting compared with DSA and performs better than 3D-TOF-MRA.

The Value of PETRA in Pulmonary Nodules of &lt;3 cm Among Patients With Lung Cancer

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the visibility of different subgroups of lung nodules of <3 cm using the pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) sequence on 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in comparison with that obtained using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).MethodsThe appropriate detection rate was calculated for each of the different subgroups of lung nodules of <3 cm. The mean diameter of each detected nodule was determined. The detection rates and diameters of the lung nodules detected by MRI with the PETRA sequence were compared with those detected by computed tomography (CT). The sensitivity of detection for the different subgroups of pulmonary nodules was determined based on the location, size, type of nodules and morphologic characteristics. Agreement of nodule characteristics between CT and MRI were assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Kappa test.ResultsThe CT scans detected 256 lung nodules, comprising 99 solid nodules (SNs) and 157 subsolid nodules with a mean nodule diameter of 8.3 mm. For the SNs, the MRI detected 30/47 nodules of <6 mm in diameter and 52/52 nodules of ≥6 mm in diameter. For the subsolid nodules, the MRI detected 30/51 nodules of <6 mm in diameter and 102/106 nodules of ≥6 mm in diameter. The PETRA sequence returned a high detection rate (84%). The detection rates of SN, ground glass nodules, and PSN were 82%, 72%, and 94%, respectively. For nodules with a diameter of >6 mm, the sensitivity of the PETRA sequence reached 97%, with a higher rate for nodules located in the upper lung fields than those in the middle and lower lung fields. Strong agreement was found between the CT and PETRA results (correlation coefficients = 0.97).ConclusionThe PETRA technique had high sensitivity for different type of nodule detection and enabled accurate assessment of their diameter and morphologic characteristics. It may be an effective alternative to CT as a tool for screening and follow up pulmonary nodules.

HYFI: Hybrid filling of the dead-time gap for faster zero echo time imaging.

The aim of this work was to improve the SNR efficiency of zero echo time (ZTE) MRI pulse sequences for faster imaging of short‐T 2 components at large dead‐time gaps. ZTE MRI with hybrid filling (HYFI) is a strategy for retrieving inner k‐space data missed during the dead‐time gaps arising from radio‐frequency excitation and switching in ZTE imaging. It performs hybrid filling of the inner k‐space with a small single‐point‐imaging core surrounded by a stack of shells acquired on radial readouts in an onion‐like fashion. The exposition of this concept is followed by translation into guidelines for parameter choice and implementation details. The imaging properties and performance of HYFI are studied in simulations as well as phantom, in vitro and in vivo imaging, with an emphasis on comparison with the pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) technique. Simulations predict higher SNR efficiency for HYFI compared with PETRA at preserved image quality, with the advantage increasing with the size of the k‐space gap. These results are confirmed by imaging experiments with gap sizes of 25 to 50 Nyquist dwells, in which scan times for similar image quality could be reduced by 25% to 60%. The HYFI technique provides both high SNR efficiency and image quality, thus outperforming previously known ZTE‐based pulse sequences, in particular for large k‐space gaps. Promising applications include direct imaging of ultrashort‐ components, such as the myelin bilayer or collagen, T 2 mapping of ultrafast relaxing signals, and ZTE imaging with reduced chemical shift artifacts.

Ultrashort Echo Time Magnetic Resonance Angiography in Follow-up of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated With Endovascular Coiling: Comparison of Time-of-Flight, Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction With Radial Acquisition, and Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography.

The optimal magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) sequence for assessing the aneurysm occlusion state or in-stent flow after endovascular coiling is not well established. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA)-MRA in patients who underwent endovascular coiling relative to that of time-of-flight (TOF)-MRA and contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRA. We evaluated the aneurysm occlusion state using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and MRA. In patients who underwent stent-assisted coiling, we estimated the visibility of in-stent flow. We enrolled 189 patients with assessable TOF, PETRA, and CE-MRAs after coiling. In patients who underwent simple coiling (128 patients), PETRA showed a higher sensitivity in the detection of residual flow than TOF and CE (PETRA, 100%; CE, 83%; TOF, 80%). There were no significant differences in the height of residual flow between DSA (0.68± 1.45mm) and PETRA (0.70± 1.50mm; P=1.000). In patients who underwent stent-assisted coiling (61 patients), PETRA showed the highest sensitivity (88%) in detecting residual flow (CE, 56%; TOF, 31%). Regarding in-stent flow, PETRA, CE, and TOF showed visual scores of≥3 with frequencies of 96.7%, 85.2%, and 37.7%, respectively. Relative signal-to-noise ratio of PETRA (0.62± 0.18) was significantly higher than that of CE (0.56± 0.12) and TOF (0.39± 0.12; P <.001 for both). PETRA-MRA showed excellent diagnostic performance in terms of residual flow detection and in-stent flow assessment. PETRA could be a versatile alternative sequence for following up patients with coiled aneurysm.