Diffusion weighted imaging combining respiratory triggering and navigator echo tracking in the upper abdomen

Yoshihiko Tachikawa; Hiroshi Hamano; Naoya Chiwata; Hikaru Yoshikai; Kento Ikeda; Yasunori Maki; Yukihiko Takahashi; Makiko Koike

doi:10.1007/s10334-024-01150-1

Diffusion weighted imaging combining respiratory triggering and navigator echo tracking in the upper abdomen

MAGMA. 2024 Feb 24. doi: 10.1007/s10334-024-01150-1. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yoshihiko Tachikawa¹, Hiroshi Hamano², Naoya Chiwata³, Hikaru Yoshikai³, Kento Ikeda³, Yasunori Maki³, Yukihiko Takahashi⁴, Makiko Koike⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Radiological Technology, Department of Medical Technology, Karatsu Red Cross Hospital, 2430 Watada, Karatsu, Saga, 847-8588, Japan. yoshihiko-tachikawa@karatsu.jrc.or.jp.
² Philips Japan, Philips Building, 2-13-37 Kohnan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8507, Japan.
³ Division of Radiological Technology, Department of Medical Technology, Karatsu Red Cross Hospital, 2430 Watada, Karatsu, Saga, 847-8588, Japan.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Karatsu Red Cross Hospital, 2430 Watada, Karatsu, Saga, 847-8588, Japan.

PMID: 38400926
DOI: 10.1007/s10334-024-01150-1

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate a new motion correction method, named RT + NV Track, for upper abdominal DWI that combines the respiratory triggering (RT) method using a respiration sensor and the Navigator Track (NV Track) method using navigator echoes.

Materials and methods: To evaluate image quality acquired upper abdominal DWI and ADC images with RT, NV, and RT + NV Track in 10 healthy volunteers and 35 patients, signal-to-noise efficiency (SNR_efficiency) and the coefficient of variation (CV) of ADC values were measured. Five radiologists independently performed qualitative image-analysis assessments.

Results: RT + NV Track showed significantly higher SNR_efficiency than RT and NV (14.01 ± 4.86 vs 12.05 ± 4.65, 10.05 ± 3.18; p < 0.001, p < 0.001). RT + NV Track was superior to RT and equal or better quality than NV in CV and visual evaluation of ADC values (0.033 ± 0.018 vs 0.080 ± 0.042, 0.057 ± 0.034; p < 0.001, p < 0.001). RT + NV Track tends to acquire only expiratory data rather than NV, even in patients with relatively rapid breathing, and can correct for respiratory depth variations, a weakness of RT, thus minimizing image quality degradation.

Conclusion: The RT + NV Track method is an efficient imaging method that combines the advantages of both RT and NV methods in upper abdominal DWI, providing stably good images in a short scan time.

Keywords: Abdomen; Apparent diffusion coefficient; Diffusion weighted imaging; Motion correction; Navigator echo tracking; Respiratory triggering.