T2-WEIGHTED SPIN-ECHO MR-IMAGING OF THE LIVER - BREATH-HOLD FAST SPIN-ECHO VERSUS NON-BREATH-HOLD FAST SPIN-ECHO IMAGES WITH AND WITHOUT FAT-SUPPRESSION

OBJECTIVE. The goal of our study was to compare a TP-weighted breath-h old fast spin-echo (BHSE) technique with TS-weighted non-breath-hold f ast spin-echo techniques for imaging the liver. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Thirty-three patients with hepatic lesions had T2-weighted BHSE images obtained in 22 sec and conventional T2-weighted non-breath-hold fast spin-echo images obtained in 3 min 12 sec with and without fat suppres sion. Images were analyzed quantitatively by measuring the lesion-live r contrast, spleen-liver contrast, and signal-to-noise ratios of lesio ns and qualitatively by evaluating the sharpness of hepatic contours, visibility of intrahepatic vessels and other segmental landmarks, and presence of artifacts. RESULTS. Quantitatively, lesion-liver contrast, spleen-liver contrast, and signal-to-noise ratios obtained with the B HSE technique were inferior to those obtained with fast spin-echo tech niques with and without fat suppression (11.2 +/- 7.1 versus 15.4 +/- 10.6 and 14.5 +/- 9.8, p < .001; 5.3 +/- 3.7 versus 8.7 +/- 3.5 and 7. 0 +/- 3.8, p < .001; 16.2 +/- 8.2 versus 20.1 +/- 10.9 and 19.7 +/- 9. 5, p < .01, respectively; Student's t test). Qualitatively, image arti facts and intrahepatic vessel depiction on BHSE images were similar to those obtained with the fast spin-echo techniques. The BHSE technique was superior to fat-suppressed fast spin-echo technique for showing h epatic contours (p < .01; Wilcoxon signed-rank test). CONCLUSION. The BHSE technique is quantitatively inferior to non-breath-hold fast spin -echo techniques. However, further studies with a surgical standard of reference are needed to compare the three techniques in terms of sens itivity.