Fat suppression at 2D MR imaging of the hands: Dixon method versus CHESS technique and STIR sequence

Thomas Kirchgesner; Vasiliki Perlepe; Nicolas Michoux; Ahmed Larbi; Bruno Vande Berg

doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2017.01.011

Fat suppression at 2D MR imaging of the hands: Dixon method versus CHESS technique and STIR sequence

Eur J Radiol. 2017 Apr:89:40-46. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2017.01.011. Epub 2017 Jan 18.

Authors

Thomas Kirchgesner¹, Vasiliki Perlepe², Nicolas Michoux³, Ahmed Larbi⁴, Bruno Vande Berg⁵

Affiliations

¹ Musculoskeletal Imaging Unit, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Thomas.Kirchgesner@uclouvain.be.
² Musculoskeletal Imaging Unit, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Vasiliki.Perlepe@uclouvain.be.
³ Musculoskeletal Imaging Unit, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Nicolas.Michoux@uclouvain.be.
⁴ Musculoskeletal Imaging Unit, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Ahmed.Larbi@chu-nimes.fr.
⁵ Musculoskeletal Imaging Unit, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Bruno.VandeBerg@uclouvain.be.

PMID: 28267547
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2017.01.011

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of fat suppression and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the Dixon method with those of the CHESS (Chemical Shift-Selective) technique and STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery) sequence in hands of normal subjects at 2D MR imaging.

Material and methods: 14 healthy volunteers (mean age of 29.4 years) consented to have both hands prospectively imaged with SE T1 Dixon, T1 CHESS, T2 Dixon, T2 CHESS and STIR sequences in a 1.5T MR scanner. Three radiologists scored the effectiveness of fat suppression in bone marrow (EFS^BM) and soft tissues (EFS^ST) in 20 joints per subject. One radiologist measured the SNR in 10 bones per subject. Statistical analysis used two-way ANOVA with random effects, paired t-test and observed agreement to assess differences in effectiveness of fat suppression, differences in SNR and inter-observer agreement.

Results: EFS^BM was statistically significantly higher for T1 Dixon than for T1 CHESS and for T2 Dixon than for T2 CHESS (p<0.0001). EFS^BM was significantly higher for T2 Dixon than for STIR in the coronal plane (p=0.0020). The SNR was significantly higher for T1 Dixon than for T1 CHESS and for T2 Dixon than for STIR (p<0.0001). The SNR was significantly lower for T2 Dixon than for T2 CHESS (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: The Dixon method yields more effective fat suppression and higher SNR than the CHESS technique at 2D T1-weighted MR imaging of the hands. At T2-weighted MR imaging, fat suppression is more effective with the Dixon method while SNR is higher with the CHESS technique.

Keywords: Artifacts; Dixon; Fat; Hands; IDEAL; MRI.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue*
Adult
Female
Hand / diagnostic imaging*
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Male
Observer Variation
Reference Values
Signal-To-Noise Ratio