Simultaneous Multislice Readout-Segmented Echo Planar Imaging for Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Patients With Invasive Breast Cancers

Sung Eun Song; Ok Hee Woo; Kyu Ran Cho; Bo Kyoung Seo; Yo Han Son; Robert Grimm; Wei Liu; Woo Kyung Moon

doi:10.1002/jmri.27433

Simultaneous Multislice Readout-Segmented Echo Planar Imaging for Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Patients With Invasive Breast Cancers

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2021 Apr;53(4):1108-1115. doi: 10.1002/jmri.27433. Epub 2020 Nov 10.

Authors

Sung Eun Song¹, Ok Hee Woo², Kyu Ran Cho¹, Bo Kyoung Seo³, Yo Han Son⁴, Robert Grimm⁵, Wei Liu⁶, Woo Kyung Moon⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
² Department of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan, South Korea.
³ Department of Radiology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
⁴ Siemens Healthcare, Seoul, South Korea.
⁵ Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany.
⁶ Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd, Shenzhen, China.
⁷ Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

PMID: 33170536
DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27433

Abstract

Background: In diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of breast MRI, simultaneous multislice acceleration techniques can be used for readout-segmented echo planar imaging (rs-EPI) to shorten the scan time.

Purpose: To compare the image quality, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, and scan time of rs-EPI and simultaneous multislice rs-EPI (SMS rs-EPI) sequences.

Study type: Retrospective.

Subjects: In all, 134 consecutive women (mean age: 55.3 years) with invasive breast cancer who underwent preoperative MRI.

Field strength/ sequences: 3.0T; rs-EPI sequence, prototypic SMS rs-EPI sequence and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) sequence ASSESSMENT: For quantitative comparison, two radiologists independently measured the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), lesion contrast, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). For qualitative comparison, image quality, lesion conspicuity, and reader preference were assessed with a reference of DCE-MRI.

Statistical tests: Paired t-tests and Mann-Whitney tests were used.

Results: For SNR and CNR, there were no differences between the sequences (P = 0.342 and 0.665 for reader 1; P = 0.606 and P = 0.116 for reader 2). Lesion contrast of SMS rs-EPI was higher than that of rs-EPI (P < 0.05 for both reader 1 and reader 2). Mean tumor ADC was similar in rs-EPI and SMS rs-EPI sequences (0.98 ± 0.22 vs. 1.00 ± 0.22; P = 0.291 for reader 1, 0.98 ± 0.21 vs. 1.00 ± 0.22; P = 0.418 for reader 2). Regarding qualitative comparison, image quality and lesion conspicuity were higher in SMS rs-EPI than in rs-EPI (both P < 0.05 for both readers). The two readers regarded SMS rs-EPI as superior or equal to rs-EPI in over 90% of cases. The acquisition time was 4:30 minutes for rs-EPI and 2:31 minutes for SMS rs-EPI.

Data conclusion: The SMS rs-EPI sequence resulted in a similar ADC value and better image quality than the rs-EPI sequence in a 44.1% reduced scan time.

Level of evidence: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: 3.

Keywords: breast cancer; diffusion-weighted imaging; magnetic resonance imaging; simultaneous excitation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Breast Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Echo-Planar Imaging*
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Reproducibility of Results
Retrospective Studies