Appropriate pancreatic phase image acquisition by free-breathing dynamic contrast-enhanced pancreatic MRI using stack-of-stars radial sampling and Compressed SENSE

• Published in: European journal of radiology 2024-06, Vol.175, p.111445-111445, Article 111445
• Main Authors: Noda, Yoshifumi, Asano, Masashi, Kawai, Nobuyuki, Kaga, Tetsuro, Kajita, Kimihiro, Peeters, Johannes M., Ueda, Yu, Honda, Masatoshi, Takai, Yukiko, Ito, Akio, Hyodo, Fuminori, Kato, Hiroki, Matsuo, Masayuki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Breath Holding; Contrast Media; Data Compression - methods; Diagnostic Imaging; Feasibility Studies; Female; Humans; Image Enhancement - methods; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreas; Pancreas - diagnostic imaging; Pancreatic Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Respiration; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0720-048X; 1872-7727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111445

•4D FreeBreathing combined with Compressed SENSE was feasible in dynamic contrast-enhanced pancreatic MRI.•4D FreeBreathing improved motion artifacts and provided diagnosable image quality as compared with eTHRIVE.•All examinations scanned by 4D FreeBreathing showed appropriate scan timing for the pancreatic phase. To evaluate the feasibility of a free-breathing sequence (4D FreeBreathing) combined with Compressed SENSE in dynamic contrast-enhanced pancreatic MRI and compare it with a breath-holding sequence (eTHRIVE). Patients who underwent pancreatic MRI, either eTHRIVE or 4D FreeBreathing, from April 2022 to November 2023 were included in this retrospective study. Two radiologists, who were unaware of the scan sequence, independently and randomly reviewed the images at the precontrast, pancreatic, portal venous, and equilibrium phases and assigned confidence scores for motion and streaking artifacts, pancreatic sharpness, and overall image quality using a 5-point scale. Furthermore, the radiologists assessed the appropriateness of the scan timing of the pancreatic phase. Mann–Whitney U and Fisher’s exact tests were conducted to compare the confidence scores and adequacy of the pancreatic phase scan timing between eTHRIVE and 4D FreeBreathing. Overall, 48 patients (median age, 71 years; interquartile range, 64–77 years; 24 women) were included. Among them, 20 patients (42%) were scanned using 4D FreeBreathing. The 4D FreeBreathing showed moderate streaking artifact but improved motion artifact (P