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Albano D, Viglino U, Esposito F, Rizzo A, Messina C, Gitto S, Fusco S, Serpi F, Kamp B, Müller-Lutz A, D’Ambrosi R, Sconfienza LM, Sewerin P. Quantitative and Compositional MRI of the Articular Cartilage: A Narrative Review. Tomography 2024; 10:949-969. [PMID: 39058044 PMCID: PMC11280587 DOI: 10.3390/tomography10070072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This review examines the latest advancements in compositional and quantitative cartilage MRI techniques, addressing both their potential and challenges. The integration of these advancements promises to improve disease detection, treatment monitoring, and overall patient care. We want to highlight the pivotal task of translating these techniques into widespread clinical use, the transition of cartilage MRI from technical validation to clinical application, emphasizing its critical role in identifying early signs of degenerative and inflammatory joint diseases. Recognizing these changes early may enable informed treatment decisions, thereby facilitating personalized medicine approaches. The evolving landscape of cartilage MRI underscores its increasing importance in clinical practice, offering valuable insights for patient management and therapeutic interventions. This review aims to discuss the old evidence and new insights about the evaluation of articular cartilage through MRI, with an update on the most recent literature published on novel quantitative sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Albano
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (S.G.); (S.F.); (F.S.); (R.D.); (L.M.S.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche ed Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Umberto Viglino
- Unit of Radiology, Ospedale Evangelico Internazionale, 16100 Genova, Italy;
| | - Francesco Esposito
- Division of Radiology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Aldo Rizzo
- Postgraduate School of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122 Milan, Italy;
| | - Carmelo Messina
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (S.G.); (S.F.); (F.S.); (R.D.); (L.M.S.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Salvatore Gitto
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (S.G.); (S.F.); (F.S.); (R.D.); (L.M.S.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Fusco
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (S.G.); (S.F.); (F.S.); (R.D.); (L.M.S.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Serpi
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (S.G.); (S.F.); (F.S.); (R.D.); (L.M.S.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Benedikt Kamp
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (B.K.); (A.M.-L.)
| | - Anja Müller-Lutz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (B.K.); (A.M.-L.)
| | - Riccardo D’Ambrosi
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (S.G.); (S.F.); (F.S.); (R.D.); (L.M.S.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Maria Sconfienza
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (S.G.); (S.F.); (F.S.); (R.D.); (L.M.S.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Philipp Sewerin
- Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Ruhr University Bochum, 44649 Herne, Germany;
- Department and Hiller-Research-Unit for Rheumatology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Katscher U, Meineke J, Zhang S, Steinhorst B, Keupp J. Estimation of effective b-value for a diffusion-weighted double-echo steady-state sequence with bipolar gradients. Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 105:10-16. [PMID: 37863374 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted double-echo steady-state (dwDESS) MRI with bipolar diffusion gradients is a promising candidate to obtain diffusion weighted images (DWI) free of geometric distortions and with low motion sensitivity. However, a wider clinical application of dwDESS is currently hindered as no method is reported to explicitly calculate the effective b-value of the obtained DWI from the diffusion-gradients applied in the sequence. To this end, a previously described signal model was adapted for dwDESS with bipolar diffusion gradients, which allows to estimate an effective b-value, dubbed b'. Evaluation in phantom examinations was performed on a clinical 1.5 T MR system. Experimental results were compared with theoretical predictions, including the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) based on b-values from a standard EPI-DWI sequence and ADC' based on the effective b' from the dwDESS sequence. The adapted signal model was able to describe the experimental results, and the obtained values of ADC' were in line with conventional ADC measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Katscher
- Philips Research Europe, Roentgenstrasse 24-26, 22335 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Jakob Meineke
- Philips Research Europe, Roentgenstrasse 24-26, 22335 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Philips Healthcare, Roentgenstrasse 24-26, 22335 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Björn Steinhorst
- Philips Research Europe, Roentgenstrasse 24-26, 22335 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Keupp
- Philips Research Europe, Roentgenstrasse 24-26, 22335 Hamburg, Germany
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Yoon D, Lutz AM. Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Peripheral Nerves: Current Status and New Developments. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2023; 27:641-648. [PMID: 37935210 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1775742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an emerging technique for peripheral nerve imaging that can provide information about the microstructural organization and connectivity of these nerves and complement the information gained from anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. With DTI it is possible to reconstruct nerve pathways and visualize the three-dimensional trajectory of nerve fibers, as in nerve tractography. More importantly, DTI allows for quantitative evaluation of peripheral nerves by the calculation of several important parameters that offer insight into the functional status of a nerve. Thus DTI has a high potential to add value to the work-up of peripheral nerve pathologies, although it is more technically demanding. Peripheral nerves pose specific challenges to DTI due to their small diameter and DTI's spatial resolution, contrast, location, and inherent field inhomogeneities when imaging certain anatomical locations. Numerous efforts are underway to resolve these technical challenges and thus enable wider acceptance of DTI in peripheral nerve MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daehyun Yoon
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Amelie M Lutz
- Department of Radiology, Kantonal Hospital Thurgau, Muensterlingen, Switzerland
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Zibetti MVW, Menon RG, de Moura HL, Zhang X, Kijowski R, Regatte RR. Updates on Compositional MRI Mapping of the Cartilage: Emerging Techniques and Applications. J Magn Reson Imaging 2023; 58:44-60. [PMID: 37010113 PMCID: PMC10323700 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widely occurring degenerative joint disease that is severely debilitating and causes significant socioeconomic burdens to society. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred imaging modality for the morphological evaluation of cartilage due to its excellent soft tissue contrast and high spatial resolution. However, its utilization typically involves subjective qualitative assessment of cartilage. Compositional MRI, which refers to the quantitative characterization of cartilage using a variety of MRI methods, can provide important information regarding underlying compositional and ultrastructural changes that occur during early OA. Cartilage compositional MRI could serve as early imaging biomarkers for the objective evaluation of cartilage and help drive diagnostics, disease characterization, and response to novel therapies. This review will summarize current and ongoing state-of-the-art cartilage compositional MRI techniques and highlight emerging methods for cartilage compositional MRI including MR fingerprinting, compressed sensing, multiexponential relaxometry, improved and robust radio-frequency pulse sequences, and deep learning-based acquisition, reconstruction, and segmentation. The review will also briefly discuss the current challenges and future directions for adopting these emerging cartilage compositional MRI techniques for use in clinical practice and translational OA research studies. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo V. W. Zibetti
- Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rajiv G. Menon
- Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hector L. de Moura
- Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Richard Kijowski
- Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ravinder R. Regatte
- Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Jang H, Athertya J, Jerban S, Ma Y, Lombardi AF, Chung CB, Chang EY, Du J. Correction of B 0 and linear eddy currents: Impact on morphological and quantitative ultrashort echo time double echo steady state (UTE-DESS) imaging. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4939. [PMID: 36965076 PMCID: PMC10518369 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of B0 and linear eddy currents on ultrashort echo time double echo steady state (UTE-DESS) imaging and to determine whether eddy current correction (ECC) effectively resolves imaging artifacts caused by eddy currents. 3D UTE-DESS sequences based on either projection radial or spiral cones trajectories were implemented on a 3-T clinical MR scanner. An off-isocentered thin-slice excitation approach was used to measure eddy currents. The measurements were repeated four times using two sets of tested gradient waveforms with opposite polarities and two different slice locations to measure B0 and linear eddy currents simultaneously. Computer simulation was performed to investigate the eddy current effect. Finally, a phantom experiment, an ex vivo experiment with human synovium and ankle samples, and an in vivo experiment with human knee joints, were performed to demonstrate the effects of eddy currents and ECC in UTE-DESS imaging. In a computer simulation, the two echoes (S+ and S-) in UTE-DESS imaging exhibited strong distortion at different orientations in the presence of B0 and linear eddy currents, resulting in both image degradation as well as misalignment of pixel location between the two echoes. The same phenomenon was observed in the phantom, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments, where the presence of eddy currents degraded S+, S-, echo subtraction images, and T2 maps. The implementation of ECC dramatically improved both the image quality and image registration between the S+ and S- echoes. It was concluded that ECC is crucial for reliable morphological and quantitative UTE-DESS imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyungseok Jang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Jiyo Athertya
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Saeed Jerban
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Yajun Ma
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | | | - Christine B Chung
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
- Radiology Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, USA
| | - Eric Y Chang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
- Radiology Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, USA
| | - Jiang Du
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
- Radiology Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, USA
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Ma Y, Jang H, Jerban S, Chang EY, Chung CB, Bydder GM, Du J. Making the invisible visible-ultrashort echo time magnetic resonance imaging: Technical developments and applications. APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 9:041303. [PMID: 36467869 PMCID: PMC9677812 DOI: 10.1063/5.0086459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a large magnetic field and radio waves to generate images of tissues in the body. Conventional MRI techniques have been developed to image and quantify tissues and fluids with long transverse relaxation times (T2s), such as muscle, cartilage, liver, white matter, gray matter, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid. However, the body also contains many tissues and tissue components such as the osteochondral junction, menisci, ligaments, tendons, bone, lung parenchyma, and myelin, which have short or ultrashort T2s. After radio frequency excitation, their transverse magnetizations typically decay to zero or near zero before the receiving mode is enabled for spatial encoding with conventional MR imaging. As a result, these tissues appear dark, and their MR properties are inaccessible. However, when ultrashort echo times (UTEs) are used, signals can be detected from these tissues before they decay to zero. This review summarizes recent technical developments in UTE MRI of tissues with short and ultrashort T2 relaxation times. A series of UTE MRI techniques for high-resolution morphological and quantitative imaging of these short-T2 tissues are discussed. Applications of UTE imaging in the musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems of the body are included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Ma
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, California 92037, USA
| | - Hyungseok Jang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, California 92037, USA
| | - Saeed Jerban
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, California 92037, USA
| | | | | | - Graeme M Bydder
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, California 92037, USA
| | - Jiang Du
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:. Tel.: (858) 246-2248, Fax: (858) 246-2221
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Zijlstra F, Seevinck PR. Multiple-echo steady-state (MESS): Extending DESS for joint T 2 mapping and chemical-shift corrected water-fat separation. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:3156-3165. [PMID: 34270127 PMCID: PMC8596862 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To extend the double echo steady‐state (DESS) sequence to enable chemical‐shift corrected water‐fat separation. Methods This study proposes multiple‐echo steady‐state (MESS), a sequence that modifies the readouts of the DESS sequence to acquire two echoes each with bipolar readout gradients with higher readout bandwidth. This enables water‐fat separation and eliminates the need for water‐selective excitation that is often used in combination with DESS, without increasing scan time. An iterative fitting approach was used to perform joint chemical‐shift corrected water‐fat separation and T2 estimation on all four MESS echoes simultaneously. MESS and water‐selective DESS images were acquired for five volunteers, and were compared qualitatively as well as quantitatively on cartilage T2 and thickness measurements. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and T2 quantification were evaluated numerically using pseudo‐replications of the acquisition. Results The water‐fat separation provided by MESS was robust and with quality comparable to water‐selective DESS. MESS T2 estimation was similar to DESS, albeit with slightly higher variability. Noise analysis showed that SNR in MESS was comparable to DESS on average, but did exhibit local variations caused by uncertainty in the water‐fat separation. Conclusion In the same acquisition time as DESS, MESS provides water‐fat separation with comparable SNR in the reconstructed water and fat images. By providing additional image contrasts in addition to the water‐selective DESS images, MESS provides a promising alternative to DESS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Zijlstra
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Peter R Seevinck
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,MRIGuidance BV, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Jang H, Ma Y, Carl M, Jerban S, Chang EY, Du J. Ultrashort echo time Cones double echo steady state (UTE-Cones-DESS) for rapid morphological imaging of short T 2 tissues. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:881-892. [PMID: 33755258 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In this study, we aimed to develop a new technique, ultrashort echo time Cones double echo steady state (UTE-Cones-DESS), for highly efficient morphological imaging of musculoskeletal tissues with short T2 s. We also proposed a novel, single-point Dixon (spDixon)-based approach for fat suppression. METHODS The UTE-Cones-DESS sequence was implemented on a 3T MR system. It uses a short radiofrequency (RF) pulse followed by a pair of balanced spiral-out and spiral-in readout gradients separated by an unbalanced spoiling gradient in-between. The readout gradients are applied immediately before or after the RF pulses to achieve a UTE image (S+ ) and a spin/stimulated echo image (S- ). Weighted echo subtraction between S+ and S- was performed to achieve high contrast specific to short T2 tissues, and spDixon was applied to suppress fat by using the intrinsic complex signal of S+ and S- . Six healthy volunteers and five patients with osteoarthritis were recruited for whole-knee imaging. Additionally, two healthy volunteers were recruited for lower leg imaging. RESULTS The UTE-Cones-DESS sequence allows fast volumetric imaging of musculoskeletal tissues with excellent image contrast for the osteochondral junction, tendons, menisci, and ligaments in the knee joint as well as cortical bone and aponeurosis in the lower leg within 5 min. spDixon yields efficient fat suppression in both S+ and S- images without requiring any additional acquisitions or preparation pulses. CONCLUSION The rapid UTE-Cones-DESS sequence can be used for high contrast morphological imaging of short T2 tissues, providing a new tool to assess their association with musculoskeletal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyungseok Jang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yajun Ma
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Saeed Jerban
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Eric Y Chang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.,Radiology Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jiang Du
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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de Vries BA, Breda SJ, Sveinsson B, McWalter EJ, Meuffels DE, Krestin GP, Hargreaves BA, Gold GE, Oei EHG. Detection of knee synovitis using non-contrast-enhanced qDESS compared with contrast-enhanced MRI. Arthritis Res Ther 2021; 23:55. [PMID: 33581741 PMCID: PMC7881494 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-021-02436-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background To assess diagnostic accuracy of quantitative double-echo in steady-state (qDESS) MRI for detecting synovitis in knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Patients with different degrees of radiographic knee OA were included prospectively. All underwent MRI with both qDESS and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI). A linear combination of the two qDESS images can be used to create an image that displays contrast between synovium and the synovial fluid. Synovitis on both qDESS and CE-MRI was assessed semi-quantitatively, using a whole-knee synovitis sum score, indicating no/equivocal, mild, moderate, and severe synovitis. The correlation between sum scores of qDESS and CE-MRI (reference standard) was determined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient for absolute agreement. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic performance of qDESS for detecting different degrees of synovitis, with CE-MRI as reference standard. Results In the 31 patients included, very strong correlation was found between synovitis sum scores on qDESS and CE-MRI (ρ = 0.96, p < 0.001), with high absolute agreement (0.84 (95%CI 0.14–0.95)). Mean sum score (SD) values on qDESS 5.16 (3.75) were lower than on CE-MRI 7.13 (4.66), indicating systematically underestimated synovitis severity on qDESS. For detecting mild synovitis or higher, high sensitivity and specificity were found for qDESS (1.00 (95%CI 0.80–1.00) and 0.909 (0.571–1.00), respectively). For detecting moderate synovitis or higher, sensitivity and specificity were good (0.727 (95%CI 0.393–0.927) and 1.00 (0.800–1.00), respectively). Conclusion qDESS MRI is able to, however with an underestimation, detect synovitis in patients with knee OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas A de Vries
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stephan J Breda
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bragi Sveinsson
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Emily J McWalter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Duncan E Meuffels
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel P Krestin
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Garry E Gold
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Edwin H G Oei
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Sveinsson B, Gold GE, Hargreaves BA, Yoon D. Utilizing shared information between gradient-spoiled and RF-spoiled steady-state MRI signals. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66:01NT03. [PMID: 33246317 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abce8a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
This work presents an analytical relationship between gradient-spoiled and RF-spoiled steady-state signals. The two echoes acquired in double-echo in steady-state scans are shown to lie on a line in the signal plane, where the two axes represent the amplitudes of each echo. The location along the line depends on the amount of spoiling and the diffusivity. The line terminates in a point corresponding to an RF-spoiled signal. In addition to the main contribution of demonstrating this signal relationship, we also include the secondary contribution of preliminary results from an example application of the relationship, in the form of a heuristic denoising method when both types of scans are performed. This is investigated in simulations, phantom scans, and in vivo scans. For the signal model, the main topic of this study, simulations confirmed its accuracy and explored its dependency on signal parameters and image noise. For the secondary topic of its preliminary application to reduce noise, simulations demonstrated the denoising method giving a reduction in noise-induced standard deviation of about 30%. The relative effect of the method on the signals is shown to depend on the slope of the described line, which is demonstrated to be zero at the Ernst angle. The phantom scans show a similar effect as the simulations. In vivo scans showed a slightly lower average improvement of about 28%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bragi Sveinsson
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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Moran CJ, Cheng JY, Sandino CM, Carl M, Alley MT, Rosenberg J, Daniel BL, Pittman SM, Rosen EL, Hargreaves BA. Diffusion-weighted double-echo steady-state with a three-dimensional cones trajectory for non-contrast-enhanced breast MRI. J Magn Reson Imaging 2020; 53:1594-1605. [PMID: 33382171 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The image quality limitations of echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) are an obstacle to its widespread adoption in the breast. Steady-state DWI is an alternative DWI method with more robust image quality but its contrast for imaging breast cancer is not well-understood. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate diffusion-weighted double-echo steady-state imaging with a three-dimensional cones trajectory (DW-DESS-Cones) as an alternative to conventional DWI for non-contrast-enhanced MRI in the breast. This prospective study included 28 women undergoing clinically indicated breast MRI and six asymptomatic volunteers. In vivo studies were performed at 3 T and included DW-DESS-Cones, DW-DESS-Cartesian, DWI, and CE-MRI acquisitions. Phantom experiments (diffusion phantom, High Precision Devices) and simulations were performed to establish framework for contrast of DW-DESS-Cones in comparison to DWI in the breast. Motion artifacts of DW-DESS-Cones were measured with artifact-to-noise ratio in volunteers and patients. Lesion-to-fibroglandular tissue signal ratios were measured, lesions were categorized as hyperintense or hypointense, and an image quality observer study was performed in DW-DESS-Cones and DWI in patients. Effect of DW-DESS-Cones method on motion artifacts was tested by mixed-effects generalized linear model. Effect of DW-DESS-Cones on signal in phantom was tested by quadratic regression. Correlation was calculated between DW-DESS-Cones and DWI lesion-to-fibroglandular tissue signal ratios. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with Gwet's AC. Simulations predicted hyperintensity of lesions with DW-DESS-Cones but at a 3% to 67% lower degree than with DWI. Motion artifacts were reduced with DW-DESS-Cones versus DW-DESS-Cartesian (p < 0.05). Lesion-to-fibroglandular tissue signal ratios were not correlated between DW-DESS-Cones and DWI (r = 0.25, p = 0.38). Concordant hyperintensity/hypointensity was observed between DW-DESS-Cones and DWI in 11/14 lesions. DW-DESS-Cones improved sharpness, distortion, and overall image quality versus DWI. DW-DESS-Cones may be able to eliminate motion artifacts in the breast allowing for investigation of higher degrees of steady-state diffusion weighting. Malignant breast lesions in DW-DESS-Cones demonstrated hyperintensity with respect to surrounding tissue without an injection of contrast. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2. TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Moran
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Joseph Y Cheng
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Christopher M Sandino
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Michael Carl
- Global MR Application and Workflow, GE Healthcare, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Marcus T Alley
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jarrett Rosenberg
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Bruce L Daniel
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Sarah M Pittman
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Eric L Rosen
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Brian A Hargreaves
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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12
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Jang H, von Drygalski A, Wong J, Zhou JY, Aguero P, Lu X, Cheng X, Ball ST, Ma Y, Chang EY, Du J. Ultrashort echo time quantitative susceptibility mapping (UTE-QSM) for detection of hemosiderin deposition in hemophilic arthropathy: A feasibility study. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:3246-3255. [PMID: 32662904 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of ultrashort echo time quantitative susceptibility mapping (UTE-QSM) for assessment of hemosiderin deposition in the joints of hemophilic patients. METHODS The UTE-QSM technique was based on three sets of dual-echo 3D UTE Cones data acquired with TEs of 0.032/2.8, 0.2/3.6, and 0.4/4.4 ms. The images were processed with iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation to estimate the B0 field map in the presence of fat. Then, the projection onto dipole field (PDF) algorithm was applied to acquire a local field map generated by tissues, followed by application of the morphology-enabled dipole inversion (MEDI) algorithm to estimate a final susceptibility map. Three healthy volunteers and three hemophilic patients were recruited to evaluate the UTE-QSM technique's ability to assess hemosiderin in the knee or ankle joint at 3T. One patient subsequently underwent total knee arthroplasty after the MR scan. The synovial tissues harvested from the knee joint during surgery were processed for histological analysis to confirm iron deposition. RESULTS UTE-QSM successfully yielded tissue susceptibility maps of joints in both volunteers and patients. Multiple regions with high susceptibility over 1 ppm were detected in the affected joints of hemophilic patients, while no localized regions with high susceptibility were detected in asymptomatic healthy volunteers. Histology confirmed the presence of iron in regions where high susceptibility was detected by UTE-QSM. CONCLUSION The UTE-QSM technique can detect hemosiderin deposition in the joint, and provides a potential sensitive biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of hemophilic arthropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyungseok Jang
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Annette von Drygalski
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jonathan Wong
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jenny Y Zhou
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Peter Aguero
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Xing Lu
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Xin Cheng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Scott T Ball
- Orthopedic Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Yajun Ma
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Eric Y Chang
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.,Radiology Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jiang Du
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
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13
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Zhang Q, van Houdt PJ, Lambregts DMJ, van Triest B, Kop MPM, Coolen BF, Strijkers GJ, van der Heide UA, Nederveen AJ. Locally advanced rectal cancer: 3D diffusion-prepared stimulated-echo turbo spin-echo versus 2D diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging. Eur Radiol Exp 2020; 4:9. [PMID: 32030561 PMCID: PMC7005244 DOI: 10.1186/s41747-019-0138-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has shown great value in rectal cancer imaging. However, traditional DWI with echo-planar imaging (DW-EPI) often suffers from geometrical distortions. We applied a three-dimensional diffusion-prepared stimulated-echo turbo spin-echo sequence (DPsti-TSE), allowing geometrically undistorted rectal DWI. We compared DPsti-TSE with DW-EPI for locally advanced rectal cancer DWI. Methods For 33 prior-to-treatment patients, DWI images of the rectum were acquired with DPsti-TSE and DW-EPI at 3 T using b-values of 200 and 1000 s/mm2. Two radiologists conducted a blinded scoring of the images considering nine aspects of image quality and anatomical quality. Tumour apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and distortions were compared quantitatively. Results DPsti-TSE scored significantly better than DW-EPI in rectum distortion (p = 0.005) and signal pileup (p = 0.001). DPsti-TSE had better tumour Dice similarity coefficient compared to DW-EPI (0.84 versus 0.80, p = 0.010). Tumour ADC values were higher for DPsti-TSE compared to DW-EPI (1.47 versus 0.86 × 10-3 mm2/s, p < 0.001). Radiologists scored DPsti-TSE significantly lower than DW-EPI on aspects of overall image quality (p = 0.001), sharpness (p < 0.001), quality of fat suppression (p < 0.001), tumour visibility (p = 0.009), tumour conspicuity (p = 0.010) and rectum wall visibility (p = 0.005). Conclusions DPsti-TSE provided geometrically less distorted rectal cancer diffusion-weighted images. However, the image quality of DW-EPI over DPsti-TSE was referred on the basis of several image quality criteria. A significant bias in tumour ADC values from DPsti-TSE was present. Further improvements of DPsti-TSE are needed until it can replace DW-EPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinwei Zhang
- Amsterdam UMC, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Room Z0-178, Meibergdreef 9, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Petra J van Houdt
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Baukelien van Triest
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marnix P M Kop
- Amsterdam UMC, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Room Z0-178, Meibergdreef 9, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bram F Coolen
- Amsterdam UMC, Biomedical Engineering and Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gustav J Strijkers
- Amsterdam UMC, Biomedical Engineering and Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Uulke A van der Heide
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Aart J Nederveen
- Amsterdam UMC, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Room Z0-178, Meibergdreef 9, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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14
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Burstein D, Mitchell R, Gray ML. Strategically Guiding Research through Careful Consideration of the Path to Impact. Radiology 2018; 290:5-7. [PMID: 30457476 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2018181475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Burstein
- From the Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (D.B.); and Teaching and Learning Laboratory (R.M.) and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (M.L.G.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass
| | - Rudolph Mitchell
- From the Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (D.B.); and Teaching and Learning Laboratory (R.M.) and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (M.L.G.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass
| | - Martha L Gray
- From the Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (D.B.); and Teaching and Learning Laboratory (R.M.) and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (M.L.G.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass
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15
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Duarte A, Ruiz A, Ferizi U, Bencardino J, Abramson SB, Samuels J, Krasnokutsky-Samuels S, Raya JG. Diffusion tensor imaging of articular cartilage using a navigated radial imaging spin-echo diffusion (RAISED) sequence. Eur Radiol 2018; 29:2598-2607. [PMID: 30382348 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-018-5780-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To validate a radial imaging spin-echo diffusion tensor (RAISED) sequence for high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of articular cartilage at 3 T. METHODS The RAISED sequence implementation is described, including the used non-linear motion correction algorithm. The robustness to eddy currents was tested on phantoms, and accuracy of measurement was assessed with measurements of temperature-dependent diffusion of free water. Motion correction was validated by comparing RAISED with single-shot diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (EPI) measures. DTI was acquired in asymptomatic subjects (n = 6) and subjects with doubtful (Kellgren-Lawrence [KL] grade 1, n = 9) and mild (KL = 2, n = 9) symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). MD and FA values without correction, and after all corrections, were calculated. A test-retest evaluation of the DTI acquisition on three asymptomatic and three OA subjects was also performed. RESULTS The root mean squared coefficient of variation of the global test-restest reproducibility was 3.54% for MD and 5.34% for FA. MD was significantly increased in both femoral condyles (7-9%) of KL 1 and in the medial (11-17%) and lateral (10-12%) compartments of KL 2 subjects. Averaged FA presented a trend of lower values with increasing KL grade, which was significant for the medial femoral condyle (-11%) of KL 1 and all three compartments in KL 2 subjects (-18 to -11%). Group differences in MD and FA were only significant after motion correction. CONCLUSION The RAISED sequence with the proposed reconstruction framework provides reproducible assessment of DTI parameters in vivo at 3 T and potentially the early stages of the disease in large regions of interest. KEY POINTS • DTI of articular cartilage is feasible at 3T with a multi-shot RAISED sequence with non-linear motion correction. • RAISED sequence allows estimation of the diffusion indices MD and FA with test-retest errors below 4% (MD) and 6% (FA). • RAISED-based measurement of DTI of articular cartilage with non-linear motion correction holds potential to differentiate healthy from OA subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Duarte
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Health, 660 First avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Amparo Ruiz
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Health, 660 First avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Uran Ferizi
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Health, 660 First avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jenny Bencardino
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Health, 660 First avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Steven B Abramson
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Samuels
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - José G Raya
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Health, 660 First avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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16
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Cheng CC, Preiswerk F, Hoge WS, Kuo TH, Madore B. Multipathway multi-echo (MPME) imaging: all main MR parameters mapped based on a single 3D scan. Magn Reson Med 2018; 81:1699-1713. [PMID: 30320945 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Quantitative parameter maps, as opposed to qualitative grayscale images, may represent the future of diagnostic MRI. A new quantitative MRI method is introduced here that requires a single 3D acquisition, allowing good spatial coverage to be achieved in relatively short scan times. METHODS A multipathway multi-echo sequence was developed, and at least 3 pathways with 2 TEs were needed to generate T1 , T2 , T2 * , B1 + , and B0 maps. The method required the central k-space region to be sampled twice, with the same sequence but with 2 very different nominal flip angle settings. Consequently, scan time was only slightly longer than that of a single scan. The multipathway multi-echo data were reconstructed into parameter maps, for phantom as well as brain acquisitions, in 5 healthy volunteers at 3 T. Spatial resolution, matrix size, and FOV were 1.2 × 1.0 × 1.2 mm3 , 160 × 192 × 160, and 19.2 × 19.2 × 19.2 cm3 (whole brain), acquired in 11.5 minutes with minimal acceleration. Validation was performed against T1 , T2 , and T2 * maps calculated from gradient-echo and spin-echo data. RESULTS In Bland-Altman plots, bias and limits of agreement for T1 and T2 results in vivo and in phantom were -2.9/±125.5 ms (T1 in vivo), -4.8/±20.8 ms (T2 in vivo), -1.5/±18.1 ms (T1 in phantom), and -5.3/±7.4 ms (T2 in phantom), for regions of interest including given brain structures or phantom compartments. Due to relatively high noise levels, the current implementation of the approach may prove more useful for region of interest-based as opposed to pixel-based interpretation. CONCLUSIONS We proposed a novel approach to quantitatively map MR parameters based on a multipathway multi-echo acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chieh Cheng
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Frank Preiswerk
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - W Scott Hoge
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Tai-Hsin Kuo
- Department of Imaging Systems, Philips Healthcare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bruno Madore
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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17
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Sveinsson B, Gold GE, Hargreaves BA, Yoon D. SNR-weighted regularization of ADC estimates from double-echo in steady-state (DESS). Magn Reson Med 2018; 81:711-718. [PMID: 30125389 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To improve the homogeneity and consistency of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) estimates in cartilage from the double-echo in steady-state (DESS) sequence by applying SNR-weighted regularization during post-processing. METHODS An estimation method that linearizes ADC estimates from DESS is used in conjunction with a smoothness constraint to suppress noise-induced variation in ADC estimates. Simulations, phantom scans, and in vivo scans are used to demonstrate how the method reduces ADC variability. Conventional diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (DW EPI) maps are acquired for comparison of mean and standard deviation (SD) of the ADC estimate. RESULTS Simulations and phantom scans demonstrated that the SNR-weighted regularization can produce homogenous ADC maps at varying levels of SNR, whereas non-regularized maps only estimate ADC accurately at high SNR levels. The in vivo maps showed that the SNR-weighted regularization produced ADC maps with similar heterogeneity to maps produced with standard DW EPI, but without the distortion of such reference scans. CONCLUSION A linear approximation of a simplified model of the relationship between DESS signals allows for fast SNR-weighted regularization of ADC maps that reduces estimation error in relatively short T2 tissue such as cartilage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bragi Sveinsson
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Garry E Gold
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | | | - Daehyun Yoon
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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18
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Qiao Y, Zou C, Cheng C, Wan Q, Tie C, Liang D, Zheng H, Liu X, Chung YC. Diffusion effect on T2 relaxometry in triple-echo steady state free precession sequence. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2018; 292:25-35. [PMID: 29758451 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2018.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of diffusion on SSFP (Steady-state Free Precession) signals in triple-echo steady state (TESS) sequence and ultimately on the accuracy of T2 relaxometry. METHODS The extended phase graph (EPG) algorithm was used to study the effect of diffusion on SSFP signals and T2 relaxometry. The simulation results were verified by a commercial phantom and in vivo studies. Based on the simulation results, a correction scheme was proposed to correct the estimated T2 values. RESULTS T2 underestimation in TESS was evident in case of small flip angle and large unbalanced gradient moment on objects with large T2 and D values. The T2 underestimation mainly originated from the diffusion sensitivity of SSFP-echo. It was also observed that SSFP-FID (Free Induction Decay) signals increased with increasing diffusion weighting under some specific conditions. The proposed correction scheme corrected the T2 underestimation, which verified that the underestimation was due to the neglect of diffusion effect. For clinical practice of TESS in tissues with short T2 such as cartilage and muscle, the diffusion effect of TESS is negligible. CONCLUSION The effect of diffusion cannot be neglected during TESS T2 quantification as it is the main source of T2 underestimation when small flip angle and large unbalanced gradient moment is used, especially for objects with large T2 and D values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangzi Qiao
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Zou
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanli Cheng
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Wan
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Changjun Tie
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Liang
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Liu
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Liu D, Steingoetter A, Curcic J, Kozerke S. Exploiting multicompartment effects in triple-echo steady-state T 2 mapping for fat fraction quantification. Magn Reson Med 2017; 79:423-429. [PMID: 28342191 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate and exploit the effect of intravoxel off-resonance compartments in the triple-echo steady-state (TESS) sequence without fat suppression for T2 mapping and to leverage the results for fat fraction quantification. METHODS In multicompartment tissue, where at least one compartment is excited off-resonance, the total signal exhibits periodic modulations as a function of echo time (TE). Simulated multicompartment TESS signals were synthesized at various TEs. Fat emulsion phantoms were prepared and scanned at the same TE combinations using TESS. In vivo knee data were obtained with TESS to validate the simulations. The multicompartment effect was exploited for fat fraction quantification in the stomach by acquiring TESS signals at two TE combinations. RESULTS Simulated and measured multicompartment signal intensities were in good agreement. Multicompartment effects caused erroneous T2 offsets, even at low water-fat ratios. The choice of TE caused T2 variations of as much as 28% in cartilage. The feasibility of fat fraction quantification to monitor the decrease of fat content in the stomach during digestion is demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS Intravoxel off-resonance compartments are a confounding factor for T2 quantification using TESS, causing errors that are dependent on the TE. At the same time, off-resonance effects may allow for efficient fat fraction mapping using steady-state imaging. Magn Reson Med 79:423-429, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dian Liu
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Steingoetter
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jelena Curcic
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Kozerke
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
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20
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Chaudhari AS, Sveinsson B, Moran CJ, McWalter EJ, Johnson EM, Zhang T, Gold GE, Hargreaves BA. Imaging and T 2 relaxometry of short-T 2 connective tissues in the knee using ultrashort echo-time double-echo steady-state (UTEDESS). Magn Reson Med 2017; 78:2136-2148. [PMID: 28074498 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a radial, double-echo steady-state (DESS) sequence with ultra-short echo-time (UTE) capabilities for T2 measurement of short-T2 tissues along with simultaneous rapid, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-efficient, and high-isotropic-resolution morphological knee imaging. METHODS THe 3D radial UTE readouts were incorporated into DESS, termed UTEDESS. Multiple-echo-time UTEDESS was used for performing T2 relaxometry for short-T2 tendons, ligaments, and menisci; and for Dixon water-fat imaging. In vivo T2 estimate repeatability and SNR efficiency for UTEDESS and Cartesian DESS were compared. The impact of coil combination methods on short-T2 measurements was evaluated by means of simulations. UTEDESS T2 measurements were compared with T2 measurements from Cartesian DESS, multi-echo spin-echo (MESE), and fast spin-echo (FSE). RESULTS UTEDESS produced isotropic resolution images with high SNR efficiency in all short-T2 tissues. Simulations and experiments demonstrated that sum-of-squares coil combinations overestimated short-T2 measurements. UTEDESS measurements of meniscal T2 were comparable to DESS, MESE, and FSE measurements while the tendon and ligament measurements were less biased than those from Cartesian DESS. Average UTEDESS T2 repeatability variation was under 10% in all tissues. CONCLUSION The T2 measurements of short-T2 tissues and high-resolution morphological imaging provided by UTEDESS makes it promising for studying the whole knee, both in routine clinical examinations and longitudinal studies. Magn Reson Med 78:2136-2148, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay S Chaudhari
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Bragi Sveinsson
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Catherine J Moran
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Emily J McWalter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ethan M Johnson
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Garry E Gold
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Brian A Hargreaves
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Sveinsson B, Chaudhari AS, Gold GE, Hargreaves BA. A simple analytic method for estimating T2 in the knee from DESS. Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 38:63-70. [PMID: 28017730 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To introduce a simple analytical formula for estimating T2 from a single Double-Echo in Steady-State (DESS) scan. METHODS Extended Phase Graph (EPG) modeling was used to develop a straightforward linear approximation of the relationship between the two DESS signals, enabling accurate T2 estimation from one DESS scan. Simulations were performed to demonstrate cancellation of different echo pathways to validate this simple model. The resulting analytic formula was compared to previous methods for T2 estimation using DESS and fast spin-echo scans in agar phantoms and knee cartilage in three volunteers and three patients. The DESS approach allows 3D (256×256×44) T2-mapping with fat suppression in scan times of 3-4min. RESULTS The simulations demonstrated that the model approximates the true signal very well. If the T1 is within 20% of the assumed T1, the T2 estimation error was shown to be less than 5% for typical scans. The inherent residual error in the model was demonstrated to be small both due to signal decay and opposing signal contributions. The estimated T2 from the linear relationship agrees well with reference scans, both for the phantoms and in vivo. The method resulted in less underestimation of T2 than previous single-scan approaches, with processing times 60 times faster than using a numerical fit. CONCLUSION A simplified relationship between the two DESS signals allows for rapid 3D T2 quantification with DESS that is accurate, yet also simple. The simplicity of the method allows for immediate T2 estimation in cartilage during the MRI examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Sveinsson
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
| | - A S Chaudhari
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - G E Gold
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - B A Hargreaves
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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22
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Nguyen D, Bieri O. Motion-insensitive rapid configuration relaxometry. Magn Reson Med 2016; 78:518-526. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Damien Nguyen
- Division of Radiological Physics; Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital; Basel Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Oliver Bieri
- Division of Radiological Physics; Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital; Basel Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
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Gras V, Farrher E, Grinberg F, Shah NJ. Diffusion-weighted DESS protocol optimization for simultaneous mapping of the mean diffusivity, proton density and relaxation times at 3 Tesla. Magn Reson Med 2016; 78:130-141. [PMID: 27476684 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To design a general framework for the optimization of an MRI protocol based on the the diffusion-weighted dual-echo steady-state (DW-DESS) sequence, enabling quantitative and simultaneous mapping of proton density (PD), relaxation times T1 and T2 and diffusion coefficient D. METHODS A parameterization of the DW-DESS sequence minimizing the Cramér-Rao lower bound of each parameter estimate was proposed and tested in a phantom experiment. An extension of the protocol was implemented for brain imaging to return the rotationally invariant mean diffusivity (MD). RESULTS In an NiCl2 -doped agar gel phantom wherein T1/T2=920/65 ms, the parameter estimation errors were below 3% for PD and T1 and below 7% for T2 and D while the measured signal-to-noise ratio always exceeded 20. In the human brain, the in vivo parametric maps obtained were overall in reasonable agreement with gold standard measurements, despite a broadening of the distributions due to physiological motion. CONCLUSION Within the optimization framework presented here, DW-DESS images can be quantitatively interpreted to yield four intrinsic parameters of the tissue. Currently, the method is limited by the sensitivity of the DW-DESS sequence in terms of physiological motion. Magn Reson Med 78:130-141, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Gras
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - 4, Medical Imaging Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.,UNIRS, Institut d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ezequiel Farrher
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - 4, Medical Imaging Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Farida Grinberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - 4, Medical Imaging Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, JARA, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - N Jon Shah
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - 4, Medical Imaging Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, JARA, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Porter EG, Winter MD, Sheppard BJ, Berry CR, Hernandez JA. CORRELATION OF ARTICULAR CARTILAGE THICKNESS MEASUREMENTS MADE WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, MAGNETIC RESONANCE ARTHROGRAPHY, AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC ARTHROGRAPHY WITH GROSS ARTICULAR CARTILAGE THICKNESS IN THE EQUINE METACARPOPHALANGEAL JOINT. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2016; 57:515-25. [PMID: 27478155 DOI: 10.1111/vru.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteoarthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint is common cause of lameness in equine athletes, and is hallmarked by articular cartilage damage. An accurate, noninvasive method for measuring cartilage thickness would be beneficial to screen for cartilage injury and allow for prompt initiation of interventional therapy. The objective of this methods comparison study was to compare computed tomographic arthrography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) measurements of articular cartilage thickness with gross measurements in the metacarpophalangeal joint of Thoroughbred horses. Fourteen cadaveric, equine thoracic limbs were included. Limbs were excluded from the study if pathology of the metacarpophalangeal articular cartilage was observed with any imaging modality. Articular cartilage thickness was measured in nine regions of the third metacarpal bone and proximal phalanx on sagittal plane MRI sequences. After intra-articular contrast administration, the measurements were repeated on sagittal plane MRA and sagittal CTA reformations. In an effort to increase cartilage conspicuity, the volume of intra-articular contrast was increased from 14.5 ml, to maximal distention for the second set of seven limbs. Mean and standard deviation values were calculated, and linear regression analysis was used to determine correlations between gross and imaging measurements of cartilage thickness. This study failed to identify one imaging test that consistently yielded measurements correlating with gross cartilage thickness. Even with the use of intra-articular contrast, cartilage surfaces were difficult to differentiate in regions where the cartilage surfaces of the proximal phalanx and third metacarpal bone were in close contact with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin G Porter
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 100126, Gainesville, FL.
| | - Matthew D Winter
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 100126, Gainesville, FL
| | - Barbara J Sheppard
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 100126, Gainesville, FL
| | - Clifford R Berry
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 100126, Gainesville, FL
| | - Jorge A Hernandez
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 100126, Gainesville, FL.,Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 100126, Gainesville, FL
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Langham MC, Desjardins B, Englund EK, Mohler ER, Floyd TF, Wehrli FW. Rapid High-resolution, Self-registered, Dual Lumen-contrast MRI Method for Vessel-wall Assessment in Peripheral Artery Disease:: A Preliminary Investigation. Acad Radiol 2016; 23:457-67. [PMID: 26916248 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2015.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Contrast-enhanced angiographic evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) is the reference standard for assessing peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, because PAD and diabetes often coexist, the prevalence of renal insufficiency is a major challenge to contrast-based angiography. The objective of this work is to describe and demonstrate a new application of three-dimensional double-echo steady-state (3D DESS) as a noncontrast vascular MRI method for evaluating peripheral atherosclerosis at 3 Tesla (3T). MATERIALS AND METHODS A water-selective 3D DESS pulse sequence was designed to simultaneously collect two steady-state free-precession signals (free induction decay and Echo) yielding "black blood" (BB) and "gray blood" (GB) images. For completeness Bloch equation, simulations were performed to characterize DESS signals of various tissues including blood at different velocities and to assess two healthy subjects for the purpose of pulse sequence optimization. Exploratory studies were performed as an add-on protocol to an existing study involving patients with PAD. To evaluate the method's specificity for detecting calcification, images from select patients were compared against CT angiography. RESULTS Simulations agreed qualitatively with in vivo images supporting DESS' potential for generating distinct lumen contrast (GB vs BB). Lesions representing calcium were easily identifiable on the basis of signal void occurring on both image types and were confirmed by CT angiography. Further, BB allowed visualization of stent restenosis, and data suggest its ability to visualize acute thrombus by virtue of T2 weighting. CONCLUSION Preliminary investigation and results suggest noncontrast 3D DESS to have the potential to improve diagnosis of PAD patients by providing detailed structural assessment of vessel-wall architecture.
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Dregely I, Margolis DAJ, Sung K, Zhou Z, Rangwala N, Raman SS, Wu HH. Rapid quantitative T2mapping of the prostate using three-dimensional dual echo steady state MRI at 3T. Magn Reson Med 2016; 76:1720-1729. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Dregely
- Department of Radiological Sciences; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
| | - Daniel A. J. Margolis
- Department of Radiological Sciences; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
| | - Kyunghyun Sung
- Department of Radiological Sciences; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
| | - Ziwu Zhou
- Department of Radiological Sciences; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
| | - Novena Rangwala
- Department of Radiological Sciences; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
| | - Steven S. Raman
- Department of Radiological Sciences; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
| | - Holden H. Wu
- Department of Radiological Sciences; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
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Guermazi A, Alizai H, Crema MD, Trattnig S, Regatte RR, Roemer FW. Compositional MRI techniques for evaluation of cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2015; 23:1639-53. [PMID: 26050864 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2015.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Revised: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA), a leading cause of disability, affects 27 million people in the United States and its prevalence is rising along with the rise in obesity. So far, biomechanical or behavioral interventions as well as attempts to develop disease-modifying OA drugs have been unsuccessful. This may be partly due to antiquated imaging outcome measures such as radiography, which are still endorsed by regulatory agencies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in clinical trials. Morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows unparalleled multi-feature assessment of the OA joint. Furthermore, advanced MRI techniques also enable evaluation of the biochemical or ultrastructural composition of articular cartilage relevant to OA research. These compositional MRI techniques have the potential to supplement clinical MRI sequences in identifying cartilage degeneration at an earlier stage than is possible today using morphologic sequences only. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe compositional MRI techniques for cartilage evaluation, which include T2 mapping, T2* Mapping, T1 rho, dGEMRIC, gagCEST, sodium imaging and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). We also reviewed relevant clinical studies that have utilized these techniques for the study of OA. The different techniques are complementary. Some focus on isotropy or the collagen network (e.g., T2 mapping) and others are more specific in regard to tissue composition, e.g., gagCEST or dGEMRIC that convey information on the GAG concentration. The application and feasibility of these techniques is also discussed, as they will play an important role in implementation in larger clinical trials and eventually clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Guermazi
- Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Research, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
| | - H Alizai
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - M D Crema
- Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Research, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar; Department of Radiology, Hospital do Coração and Teleimagem, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S Trattnig
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - R R Regatte
- Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - F W Roemer
- Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Research, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar; Department of Radiology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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Matzat SJ, McWalter EJ, Kogan F, Chen W, Gold GE. T2 Relaxation time quantitation differs between pulse sequences in articular cartilage. J Magn Reson Imaging 2015; 42:105-13. [PMID: 25244647 PMCID: PMC4369475 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To compare T2 relaxation time measurements between MR pulse sequences at 3 Tesla in agar phantoms and in vivo patellar, femoral, and tibial articular cartilage. METHODS T2 relaxation times were quantified in phantoms and knee articular cartilage of eight healthy individuals using a single echo spin echo (SE) as a reference standard and five other pulse sequences: multi-echo SE (MESE), fast SE (2D-FSE), magnetization-prepared spoiled gradient echo (3D-MAPSS), three-dimensional (3D) 3D-FSE with variable refocusing flip angle schedules (3D vfl-FSE), and quantitative double echo steady state (qDESS). Cartilage was manually segmented and average regional T2 relaxation times were obtained for each sequence. A regression analysis was carried out between each sequence and the reference standard, and root-mean-square error (RMSE) was calculated. RESULTS Phantom measurements from all sequences demonstrated strong fits (R(2) > 0.8; P < 0.05). For in vivo cartilage measurements, R(2) values, slope, and RMSE were: MESE: 0.25/0.42/5.0 ms, 2D-FSE: 0.64/1.31/9.3 ms, 3D-MAPSS: 0.51/0.66/3.8 ms, 3D vfl-FSE: 0.30/0.414.2 ms, qDESS: 0.60/0.90/4.6 ms. CONCLUSION 2D-FSE, qDESS, and 3D-MAPSS demonstrated the best fits with SE measurements as well as the greatest dynamic ranges. The 3D-MAPSS, 3D vfl-FSE, and qDESS demonstrated the closest average measurements to SE. Discrepancies in T2 relaxation time quantitation between sequences suggest that care should be taken when comparing results between studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feliks Kogan
- Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Weitian Chen
- MR Applied Science Laboratory, GE Healthcare, Menlo Park, California, USA
| | - Garry E. Gold
- Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Guha A, Wyatt C, Karampinos DC, Nardo L, Link TM, Majumdar S. Spatial variations in magnetic resonance-based diffusion of articular cartilage in knee osteoarthritis. Magn Reson Imaging 2015; 33:1051-1058. [PMID: 26119421 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2015.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate a pulse sequence combining stimulated echo diffusion preparation with a 3D segmented spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) acquisition for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of knee cartilage in healthy and osteoarthritis (OA) populations for early diagnosis and characterization of OA. METHODS Diffusion-weighted images of 40 subjects (20 healthy, 20 OA) at baseline and 20 subjects (10 healthy, 10 OA) at one year were obtained. The subjects were classified according to Kellgren Lawrence (KL) and whole organ magnetic resonance imaging scoring (WORMS) method acquired at 3 T. Cartilage full thickness and laminar mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values were quantified. The reproducibility of MD and FA values was assessed in five healthy human subjects based on test-retest scans. RESULTS In general, the full thickness MD values were higher in subjects with knee OA compared to healthy controls in both the baseline and follow up cohort. Laminar analysis MD and FA results were significantly different (p<0.05) between the bone-articular and articular layer with the articular layer having higher MD and lower FA value compared to the bone layer. The global reproducibility error was 6.5% for MD and 11.6% for FA. CONCLUSION The diffusion-weighted stimulated echo-based sequence may be used as a valuable tool for early diagnosis and characterization of knee OA at 3 T in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Guha
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Cory Wyatt
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dimitrios C Karampinos
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Nardo
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas M Link
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sharmila Majumdar
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Jungmann PM, Baum T, Schaeffeler C, Sauerschnig M, Brucker PU, Mann A, Ganter C, Bieri O, Rummeny EJ, Woertler K, Bauer JS. 3.0T MR imaging of the ankle: Axial traction for morphological cartilage evaluation, quantitative T2 mapping and cartilage diffusion imaging-A preliminary study. Eur J Radiol 2015; 84:1546-1554. [PMID: 26003193 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2015.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the impact of axial traction during high resolution 3.0T MR imaging of the ankle on morphological assessment of articular cartilage and quantitative cartilage imaging parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS MR images of n=25 asymptomatic ankles were acquired with and without axial traction (6kg). Coronal and sagittal T1-weighted (w) turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences with a driven equilibrium pulse and sagittal fat-saturated intermediate-w (IMfs) TSE sequences were acquired for morphological evaluation on a four-point scale (1=best, 4=worst). For quantitative assessment of cartilage degradation segmentation was performed on 2D multislice-multiecho (MSME) SE T2, steady-state free-precession (SSFP; n=8) T2 and SSFP diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI; n=8) images. Wilcoxon-tests and paired t-tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS With axial traction, joint space width increased significantly and delineation of cartilage surfaces was rated superior (P<0.05). Cartilage surfaces were best visualized on coronal T1-w images (P<0.05). Differences for cartilage matrix evaluation were smaller. Subchondral bone evaluation, motion artifacts and image quality were not significantly different between the acquisition methods (P>0.05). T2 values were lower at the tibia than at the talus (P<0.001). Reproducibility was better for images with axial traction. CONCLUSION Axial traction increased the joint space width, allowed for better visualization of cartilage surfaces and improved compartment discrimination and reproducibility of quantitative cartilage parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia M Jungmann
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Thomas Baum
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Christoph Schaeffeler
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany; Musculoskeletal Imaging, Kantonsspital Graubuenden, Loestrasse 170, CH-7000 Chur, Switzerland.
| | - Martin Sauerschnig
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany; Department of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Peter U Brucker
- Department of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Alexander Mann
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany; Department of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Carl Ganter
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Oliver Bieri
- Division of Radiological Physics, Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Ernst J Rummeny
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Klaus Woertler
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Jan S Bauer
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
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Raya JG. Techniques and applications of in vivo diffusion imaging of articular cartilage. J Magn Reson Imaging 2015; 41:1487-504. [PMID: 25865215 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early in the process of osteoarthritis (OA) the composition (water, proteoglycan [PG], and collagen) and structure of articular cartilage is altered leading to changes in its mechanical properties. A technique that can assess the composition and structure of the cartilage in vivo can provide insight in the mechanical integrity of articular cartilage and become a powerful tool for the early diagnosis of OA. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been proposed as a biomarker for cartilage composition and structure. DTI is sensitive to the PG content through the mean diffusivity and to the collagen architecture through the fractional anisotropy. However, the acquisition of DTI of articular cartilage in vivo is challenging due to the short T2 of articular cartilage (∼40 ms at 3 Tesla) and the high resolution needed (0.5-0.7 mm in plane) to depict the cartilage anatomy. We describe the pulse sequences used for in vivo DTI of articular cartilage and discus general strategies for protocol optimization. We provide a comprehensive review of measurements of DTI of articular cartilage from ex vivo validation experiments to its recent clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- José G Raya
- Department Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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Characterization of the collagen component of cartilage repair tissue of the talus with quantitative MRI: comparison of T2 relaxation time measurements with a diffusion-weighted double-echo steady-state sequence (dwDESS). Eur Radiol 2014; 25:980-6. [PMID: 25407662 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-014-3490-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to characterize the collagen component of repair tissue (RT) of the talus after autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) using quantitative T2 and diffusion-weighted imaging. METHODS Mean T2 values and diffusion coefficients of AMIC-RT and normal cartilage of the talus of 25 patients with posttraumatic osteochondral lesions and AMIC repair were compared in a cross-sectional design using partially spoiled steady-state free precession (pSSFP) for T2 quantification, and diffusion-weighted double-echo steady-state (dwDESS) for diffusion measurement. RT and cartilage were graded with modified Noyes and MOCART scores on morphological sequences. An association between follow-up interval and quantitative MRI measures was assessed using multivariate regression, after stratifying the cohort according to time interval between surgery and MRI. RESULTS Mean T2 of the AMIC-RT and cartilage were 43.1 ms and 39.1 ms, respectively (p = 0.26). Mean diffusivity of the RT (1.76 μm(2)/ms) was significantly higher compared to normal cartilage (1.46 μm(2)/ms) (p = 0.0092). No correlation was found between morphological and quantitative parameters. RT diffusivity was lowest in the subgroup with follow-up >28 months (p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS Compared to T2-mapping, dwDESS demonstrated greater sensitivity in detecting differences in the collagen matrix between AMIC-RT and cartilage. Decreased diffusivity in patients with longer follow-up times may indicate an increased matrix organization of RT. KEY POINTS • MRI is used to assess morphology of the repair tissue during follow-up. • Quantitative MRI allows an estimation of biochemical properties of the repair tissue. • Differences between repair tissue and cartilage were more significant with dwDESS than T2 mapping.
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Riley GM, McWalter EJ, Stevens KJ, Safran MR, Lattanzi R, Gold GE. MRI of the hip for the evaluation of femoroacetabular impingement; past, present, and future. J Magn Reson Imaging 2014; 41:558-72. [PMID: 25155435 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has, in a relatively short time, come to the forefront of orthopedic imaging. In just a few short years MRI findings that were in the past ascribed to degenerative change, normal variation, or other pathologies must now be described and included in radiology reports, as they have been shown, or are suspected to be related to, FAI. Crucial questions have come up in this time, including: what is the relationship of bony morphology to subsequent cartilage and labral damage, and most importantly, how is this morphology related to the development of osteoarthritis? In this review, we attempt to place a historical perspective on the controversy, provide guidelines for interpretation of MRI examinations of patients with suspected FAI, and offer a glimpse into the future of MRI of this complex condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M Riley
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Raya JG, Dettmann E, Notohamiprodjo M, Krasnokutsky S, Abramson S, Glaser C. Feasibility of in vivo diffusion tensor imaging of articular cartilage with coverage of all cartilage regions. Eur Radiol 2014; 24:1700-6. [PMID: 24816930 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-014-3155-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of articular cartilage to differentiate healthy from osteoarthritis (OA) subjects in all cartilage regions. METHODS DTI was acquired sagittally at 7 T in ten healthy and five OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2) subjects with a line scan diffusion tensor sequence (LSDTI). Three healthy volunteers and two OA subjects were examined twice to assess the test-retest reproducibility. Averaged mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were calculated in each cartilage region (femoral trochlea, lateral and medial femoral condyles, patella, and lateral and medial tibia). RESULTS The test-retest reproducibility was 2.9% for MD and 5.6% for FA. Averaged MD was significantly increased (+20%, p < 0.05) in the OA subjects in the lateral femoral condyle, lateral tibia and the femoral trochlea compartments. Averaged FA presented a trend of lower values in the OA subjects (-12%), which was only significant for the lateral tibia. CONCLUSIONS In vivo DTI of articular cartilage with coverage of all cartilage regions using an LSDTI sequence is feasible, shows excellent reproducibility for MD and FA, and holds potential for the diagnosis of OA. KEY POINTS • DTI of articular cartilage is feasible at 7 T in all cartilage regions • DTI of articular cartilage can potentially differentiate healthy and OA subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- José G Raya
- Department Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, 660 First Avenue, 4th Floor, 10016, New York, NY, USA,
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Cartilage repair surgery: outcome evaluation by using noninvasive cartilage biomarkers based on quantitative MRI techniques? BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:840170. [PMID: 24877139 PMCID: PMC4024422 DOI: 10.1155/2014/840170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND New quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are increasingly applied as outcome measures after cartilage repair. OBJECTIVE To review the current literature on the use of quantitative MRI biomarkers for evaluation of cartilage repair at the knee and ankle. METHODS Using PubMed literature research, studies on biochemical, quantitative MR imaging of cartilage repair were identified and reviewed. RESULTS Quantitative MR biomarkers detect early degeneration of articular cartilage, mainly represented by an increasing water content, collagen disruption, and proteoglycan loss. Recently, feasibility of biochemical MR imaging of cartilage repair tissue and surrounding cartilage was demonstrated. Ultrastructural properties of the tissue after different repair procedures resulted in differences in imaging characteristics. T2 mapping, T1rho mapping, delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC), and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) are applicable on most clinical 1.5 T and 3 T MR scanners. Currently, a standard of reference is difficult to define and knowledge is limited concerning correlation of clinical and MR findings. The lack of histological correlations complicates the identification of the exact tissue composition. CONCLUSIONS A multimodal approach combining several quantitative MRI techniques in addition to morphological and clinical evaluation might be promising. Further investigations are required to demonstrate the potential for outcome evaluation after cartilage repair.
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Granlund KL, Staroswiecki E, Alley MT, Daniel BL, Hargreaves BA. High-resolution, three-dimensional diffusion-weighted breast imaging using DESS. Magn Reson Imaging 2014; 32:330-41. [PMID: 24512800 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2013.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Revised: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the use of the double-echo steady-state (DESS) sequence for acquiring high-resolution breast images with diffusion and T2 weighting. MATERIALS AND METHODS Phantom scans were used to verify the T2 and diffusion weighting of the DESS sequence. Image distortion was evaluated in volunteers by comparing DESS images and conventional diffusion-weighted images (DWI) to spoiled gradient-echo images. The DESS sequence was added to a standard clinical protocol, and the resulting patient images were used to evaluate overall image quality and image contrast in lesions. RESULTS The diffusion weighting of the DESS sequence can be easily modulated by changing the spoiler gradient area and flip angle. Radiologists rated DESS images as having higher resolution and less distortion than conventional DWI. Lesion-to-tissue contrast ratios are strongly correlated between DWI and DESS images (R=0.83) and between T2-weighted fast spin-echo and DESS images (R=0.80). CONCLUSION The DESS sequence is able to acquire high-resolution 3D diffusion- and T2-weighted images in short scan times, with image quality that facilitates morphological assessment of lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin L Granlund
- Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.
| | - Ernesto Staroswiecki
- Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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Anderson SW, Barry B, Soto J, Ozonoff A, O'Brien M, Jara H. Characterizing non-gaussian, high b-value diffusion in liver fibrosis: Stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis modeling. J Magn Reson Imaging 2013; 39:827-34. [PMID: 24259401 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To employ the stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis models to study the non-Gaussian behavior of diffusion-related signal decay of the liver in an animal model of hepatic fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS High b-value diffusion imaging data (up to 3500 s/mm(2) ) of ex vivo murine liver specimens was acquired using a 9.4 T MRI scanner. A simple monoexponential model as well as the stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis models were employed to analyze the diffusion data, the results of which were correlated with liver histopathology. RESULTS Strong correlations between histopathological assessments of hepatic fibrosis and parameters derived from the stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis models were found. Using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) analyses, the kurtosis model was found to result in an improved fit of the high b-value diffusion data when compared to both the monoexponential and stretched exponential models. CONCLUSION The use of diffusional kurtosis or stretched exponential models, applied to the characterization of the non-Gaussian behavior of the molecular diffusion of liver exhibited over an extended b-factor range, affords the potential for an increased capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the characterization of chronic liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan W Anderson
- Boston University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Baete SH, Cho G, Sigmund EE. Multiple-echo diffusion tensor acquisition technique (MEDITATE) on a 3T clinical scanner. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2013; 26:1471-83. [PMID: 23828606 PMCID: PMC3800503 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.2978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This article describes the concepts and implementation of an MRI method, the multiple-echo diffusion tensor acquisition technique (MEDITATE), which is capable of acquiring apparent diffusion tensor maps in two scans on a 3T clinical scanner. In each MEDITATE scan, a set of RF pulses generates multiple echoes, the amplitudes of which are diffusion weighted in both magnitude and direction by a pattern of diffusion gradients. As a result, two scans acquired with different diffusion weighting strengths suffice for accurate estimation of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters. The MEDITATE variation presented here expands previous MEDITATE approaches to adapt to the clinical scanner platform, such as exploiting longitudinal magnetization storage to reduce T2 weighting. Fully segmented multi-shot Cartesian encoding is used for image encoding. MEDITATE was tested on isotropic (agar gel), anisotropic diffusion phantoms (asparagus) and in vivo skeletal muscle in healthy volunteers with cardiac gating. Comparisons of accuracy were performed with standard twice-refocused spin echo (TRSE) DTI in each case and good quantitative agreement was found between diffusion eigenvalues, mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy derived from TRSE DTI and from the MEDITATE sequence. Orientation patterns were correctly reproduced in both isotropic and anisotropic phantoms, and approximately for in vivo imaging. This illustrates that the MEDITATE method of compressed diffusion encoding is feasible on the clinical scanner platform. With future development and employment of appropriate view-sharing image encoding, this technique may be used in clinical applications requiring time-sensitive acquisition of DTI parameters such as dynamical DTI in muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven H Baete
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Crooijmans HJ, Ruder TD, Zech WD, Somaini S, Scheffler K, Thali MJ, Bieri O. Feasibility of quantitative diffusion imaging of the heart in post-mortem MR. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jofri.2013.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Heule R, Ganter C, Bieri O. Rapid estimation of cartilage T
2
with reduced T
1
sensitivity using double echo steady state imaging. Magn Reson Med 2013; 71:1137-43. [PMID: 23666766 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.24748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Heule
- Division of Radiological Physics, Department of Radiology; University of Basel Hospital; Basel Switzerland
| | - Carl Ganter
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar; Technische Universität München; Munich Germany
| | - Oliver Bieri
- Division of Radiological Physics, Department of Radiology; University of Basel Hospital; Basel Switzerland
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Heule R, Ganter C, Bieri O. Triple echo steady-state (TESS) relaxometry. Magn Reson Med 2013; 71:230-7. [PMID: 23553949 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.24659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2012] [Revised: 12/27/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Heule
- Division of Radiological Physics; Department of Radiology; University of Basel Hospital; Basel Switzerland
| | - Carl Ganter
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar; Technische Universität München; Munich Germany
| | - Oliver Bieri
- Division of Radiological Physics; Department of Radiology; University of Basel Hospital; Basel Switzerland
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