Fat-suppressed three-dimensional MR angiography technique with elliptical centric view order and no prolonged breath-holding time

Instability of background fat intensity suppression using fat-saturated (FS) MR imaging techniques according to region and reconstruction procedure in patients with oral cancer

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the background fat intensity suppression instability of each area in the head and neck region, and in the post-reconstruction with metal plate and myocutaneous flap, of patients with oral cancer using fat-saturated (FS) images. STIR and FS T2-weighted images at pre- and post-surgery in 59 patients with oral cancer were scored for uniformity of fat suppression and tissue conspicuity in each region of the head and neck. The scores of FS on uniformity of fat suppression pre-operatively were worse than those of STIR in the mandibular level, but not lesion and tissue conspicuity. However, the deterioration both of scores between pre- and post-surgery using FS was worse than that using STIR using metal plate and/or myocutaneous flap. At diagnosis, we should recognize on MR images using FS that instability of the status of fat suppression might be brought about by respective area and reconstruction with metal plate and myocutaneous flap of patients with oral cancer.

Centrally fat-saturated three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography of the abdomen using selective central fat-saturation of k-space

PURPOSE

To assess the usefulness of centrally fat-saturated three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the abdomen using an elliptical centric view order and selective placement of fat-saturation pulses in the central 30% portion of the k-space in terms of fat signal reduction, image contrast of post-contrast images, and breath-holding time.

METHODS

Fat signal in abdomen and breath-holding time were compared between centrally fat-saturated three-dimensional sequence and partially fat-saturated three-dimensional sequence or conventional fat-saturated three-dimensional sequence. Abdominal contrast-enhanced centrally fat-saturated three-dimensional MR angiography was obtained at arterial and equilibrium phases, and image quality was quantitatively and visually evaluated.

RESULTS

Centrally fat-saturated three-dimensional sequence suppressed fat signal, as did the conventional fat-saturated three-dimensional sequence, and the breath-hold was prolonged only by 1.5 seconds compared to the partially fat-saturated three-dimensional sequence. Contrast-enhanced centrally fat-saturated three-dimensional MR angiography provided abdominal MR arteriography with large signal difference between vessels and fat, while venous signal was insufficient at equilibrium phase.

CONCLUSION

Abdominal contrast-enhanced centrally fat-saturated three-dimensional MR angiography using an elliptical centric view order and selective central fat-saturation of k-space reduced fat signal comparable to conventional fat-saturated three-dimensional sequence, and provided contrast-enhanced MR arteriography with high vascular contrast and minimum prolongation of breath-hold.