Comparison between turbo spin-echo and echo planar diffusion-weighted imaging of the female pelvis with 3T MRI. (February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yoshizako, Takeshi; Yoshida, Rika; Asou, Hiroya; Nakamura, Megumi; Kitagaki, Hajime
• Is Part Of: Acta radiologica open. Volume 10:Number 2(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Subjects: Turbo spin echo -- echo-planar imaging -- diffusion-weighed imaging -- pelvis -- female -- 3T; Radiology -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Radiology; Periodicals; 616.075705
• DOI: 10.1177/2058460121994737
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2058-4601

Abstract

Background: Echo-planar imaging (EPI)-diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) may take unclear image affected by susceptibility, geometric distortions and chemical shift artifacts. Purpose: To compare the image quality and usefulness of EPI-DWI and turbo spin echo (TSE)-DWI in female patients who required imaging of the pelvis. Material and Methods: All 57 patients were examined with a 3.0-T MR scanner. Both TSE- and EPI-DWI were performed with b values of 0 and 1000 s/mm 2 . We compared geometric distortion, the contrast ratio (CR) of the myometrium to the muscle and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for the myometrium and lesion. Two radiologists scored the TSE- and EPI-DWI of each patient for qualitative evaluation. Results: The mean percent distortion was significantly smaller with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.00). The CR was significantly higher with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.003). There was a significant difference in the ADC value for the uterus and lesions between the EPI- and TSE-DWI ( p < 0.05). Finally, the ADC values of cancer were significantly different from those for the uterus and benign with both the two sequences ( p < 0.05). The scores for ghosting artifacts were higher with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.019). But there were no significant differences between TSE- and EPI-DWI with regard to image contrast and overall image quality. Conclusion: TSE-DWI on the female pelvis by 3T MRI produces less distortion and higher CR than EPI-DWI, but there is no difference in contrast and image quality.