MR-IMAGING OF THE LIVER - BREATH-HOLD T1-WEIGHTED MP-GRE COMPARED WITH CONVENTIONAL T2-WEIGHTED SE IMAGING - LESION DETECTION, LOCALIZATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION

PURPOSE: To compare breath-hold T1-weighted magnetization-prep ared gr adient-echo (MP-GRE) imaging with conventional T2-weighted spin-echo ( SE) imaging in evaluation of focal liver disease. MATERIALS AND METHOD S: Images of 68 patients evaluated for focal liver disease were review ed. Five sets of images were analyzed: axial, sagittal, and coronal br eath-hold T1-weighted MP-GRE images, axial T2-weighted SE images, and a compilation of axial, sagittal, and coronal (three-plane) T1-weighte d ME-GEE images. Lesion signal intensity (SI) and signal difference-to -noise (SD/N) ratios were calculated. RESULTS: Lesions were detected, localized, and characterized more accurately (P <.05-.001) and with gr eater confidence on three-plane T1-weighted ME-GEE images than on almo st all single-plane images. Mean SI ratios of nonsolid and solid lesio ns on MP-GRE and SE images were significantly different at all lesion sizes; mean SD/N ratio was significantly different only for large lesi ons. CONCLUSION: Lesion detection, localization, and characterization can be accurately and confidently performed with three-plane T1-weight ed MP-GRE breath-hold imaging, potentially obviating conventional T2-w eighted SE imaging.