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Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging in whole-body positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging for multiparametric examination in oncological patients

  • Magnetic Resonance
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI-SMS) with that of standard DWI (DWI-STD) in whole-body 3-T PET/MRI examination protocols in oncological patients.

Methods

In a phantom study, we evaluated the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) from the two techniques. In ten volunteers, we assessed ADC values in different organs. In 20 oncological patients, we evaluated subjective image quality (Likert scale, 5 indicating excellent) and artefacts in different body regions. We also rated the conspicuity and acquired the ADC values of PET-positive tumorous lesions.

Results

The scan time for the whole-body DWI-SMS examinations was 40% shorter than the scan time for the DWI-STD examinations (84 s vs. 140 s per table position). The phantom and volunteer studies showed lower ADC values from DWI-SMS in the liver and muscle (psoas muscle 1.4 vs. 1.3). In patients, DWI-SMS provided poorer subjective image quality in the thoracoabdominal region (3.0 vs. 3.8, p = 0.02) and overall more artefacts (138 vs. 105). No significant differences regarding conspicuity and ADC values of lesions were found.

Conclusions

DWI-SMS seems to provide reliable conspicuity and ADC values of tumorous lesions similar to those provided by DWI-STD. Therefore, although providing poorer image quality in certain regions, DWI-SMS can clearly reduce PET/MRI scan times in oncological patients.

Key points

• DWI-SMS can reduce PET/MRI scan times in oncological patients.

• DWI-SMS provides reliable ADC values and good lesion conspicuity similar to those provided by DWI-STD.

• DWI-SMS may provide poorer image quality in regions with low signal.

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Abbreviations

SMS:

Simultaneous multi-slice

STD:

Standard

HASTE:

Half Fourier acquisition single shot turbo spin echo

PSMA:

Prostate-specific membrane antigen

SD:

Standard deviation

CI:

Confidence interval

TR:

Repetition time

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the University of Minnesota Center for Magnetic Resonance Research for providing continuous support regarding the SMS sequence. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Dr. Christian Wuerslin, Stanford, Radiological Sciences Laboratory, in kindly sharing the MATLAB postprocessing software. The authors thank Holger Schmidt, PhD, Siemens Healthineers GmbH, for kindly supporting the revision of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany

    Jana Taron, Christina Schraml, Christina Pfannenberg, Konstantin Nikolaou & Ferdinand Seith

  2. Section on Experimental Radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany

    Nina Schwenzer & Petros Martirosian

  3. Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Eberhard Karls University, Otfried-Mueller-Str. 14, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany

    Matthias Reimold

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  1. Jana Taron
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  2. Christina Schraml
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  4. Matthias Reimold
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petros Martirosian.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Petros Martirosian.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

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The authors state that this work did not receive any funding.

Statistics and biometry

No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper.

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Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

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Written informed consent was obtained from all patients.

Methodology

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Taron, J., Schraml, C., Pfannenberg, C. et al. Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging in whole-body positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging for multiparametric examination in oncological patients. Eur Radiol 28, 3372–3383 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5216-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5216-y

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