Application of a Novel Iterative Denoising and Image Enhancement Technique in T1-Weighted Precontrast and Postcontrast Gradient Echo Imaging of the Abdomen: Improvement of Image Quality and Diagnostic Confidence. Issue 5 (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gassenmaier, Sebastian; Afat, Saif; Nickel, Dominik; Kannengiesser, Stephan; Herrmann, Judith; Hoffmann, Rüdiger; Othman, Ahmed E.
• Is Part Of: Investigative radiology. Volume 56:Issue 5(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: magnetic resonance imaging -- noise -- signal-to-noise ratio -- abdomen; Diagnosis, Radioscopic -- Periodicals; Radiology, Medical -- Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000746
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-9996

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a novel iterative denoising and image enhancement technique in T1-weighted precontrast and postcontrast volume-interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) of the abdomen on image quality, noise levels, and diagnostic confidence without change of acquisition parameters. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients were included in this retrospective, monocentric, institutional review board–approved study after clinically indicated magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen including T1-weighted precontrast and postcontrast imaging. After acquisition of the standard VIBE (VIBES ), images were processed with a novel reconstruction algorithm using the same raw data as for VIBES, resulting in a denoised and enhanced dataset (VIBEDE ). Two different radiologists evaluated both datasets in a randomized order regarding sharpness of organs as well as vessels, noise levels, artifacts, overall image quality, and diagnostic confidence using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4 with 4 being the best. Furthermore, in the presence of focal liver lesions, the largest lesion was measured in the postcontrast dataset, and lesion detectability was analyzed using a Likert scale (1–4). Results: Precontrast and postcontrast sharpness of organs and sharpness of vessels were rated significantly superior by both readers in VIBEDE with a median of 4 (interquartile range, 0) compared with VIBES with a median of 3 (1) (all P 's < 0.0001). Precontrast and postcontrast noise levels were also rated superior by both readers in VIBEDE with a median of 4 (0) compared with VIBES with a median of 3 (1) for precontrast and a median of 3 (0) (median of 3 [1] for reader 2) for postcontrast imaging (all P 's < 0.0001). Overall image quality was also rated higher with a median of 4 (0) in VIBEDE versus 3 (1) in VIBES ( P < 0.0001). Twenty-seven imaging studies contained liver lesions. There was no difference regarding the number and localization between the readers and between VIBES and VIBEDE . Lesion detectability was rated by both readers significantly better in VIBEDE with a median of 4 (0) compared with a median of 4 (1) for reader 1 and a median of 3 (1) for reader 2 ( P = 0.001 for reader 1; P < 0.001 for reader 2). Consequently, diagnostic confidence was also significantly superior in VIBEDE versus VIBES with a median of 4 (0) for both ( P = 0.001). Interreader agreement resulted in a Cohen κ of 0.76 for precontrast analysis as well as of 0.76 for postcontrast analysis. Conclusions: Application of a novel iterative denoising and image enhancement technique in T1-weighted VIBE precontrast and postcontrast imaging of the abdomen is feasible, providing superior image quality, noise levels, and diagnostic confidence.