HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Öner, A. Y. Articles by Celik, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Öner, A. Y. Articles by Celik, A. Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging of the Appendicular Skeleton with a Non–Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill Single-Shot Fast Spin-Echo Sequence

¹ Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Besevler, Ankara 06510, Turkey.
² GE Medical Systems, Istanbul, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to prospectively evaluate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the appendicular skeleton with the use of a newly developed non–Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (non-CPMG) single-shot fast spin-echo (SSFSE) sequence and to evaluate its effect on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS. DWI of the bone was performed in 32 patients with an echo-planar imaging (EPI)–based sequence followed by a non-CPMG SSFSE technique. SNR and ADC values were measured over a lesion-free right femoral head. A score was assigned for each set of images to assess image quality. When a bone lesion was present, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and ADC were also measured. Paired Student's t tests were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS. The mean (± SD) SNR values were 9.89 ± 2.20 and 81.68 ± 4.87 for EPI and non-CPMG SSFSE DWI, respectively. SNR values associated with the non-CPMG SSFSE technique were found to be significantly higher than those measured with the EPI-based DWI technique (p < 0.01). Mean ADCs of the bone were 0.57 ± 0.20 and 0.29 ± 0.15 x 10^–3 mm²/s, respectively, for EPI and non-CPMG SSFSE DWI. Image quality scores were higher for the non-CPMG SSFSE DWI technique (p < 0.05) than for the EPI-based DWI technique. Overall lesion CNR was found to be higher in DWI performed with the non-CPMG SSFSE technique.

CONCLUSION. The non-CPMG SSFSE technique provides a significant improvement over the currently used EPI-based DWI technique and has the potential to be a powerful tool in imaging the appendicular skeleton.

Keywords: appendicular skeleton • avascular necrosis • bone lesions • diffusion-weighted imaging • echo-planar imaging • MR techniques • parallel imaging • perfusion imaging

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?