T2-weighted breath-hold MRI of the liver at 1.0 T: Comparison of turbo spin-echo and HASTE sequences with and without fat suppression

To compare the clinical usefulness of T2-weighted breath-hold sequences for imaging the liver, 33 patients with 97 focal hepatic lesions were studied with a 1.0-T scanner by using Ta-weighted breath-hold turbo spin-echo (SE) sequences and T2-weighted breath-hold half-Fourier single-shot turbo SE (HA STE) sequences with and without fat suppression. Images were quantitatively analyzed for liver signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and lesion-to-liver contras t-to-noise ratios (CNR). Qualitative analysis was performed for lesion cons picuity, motion artifacts, and anatomic sharpness of extrahepatic structure s. Breath-hold turbo SE imaging with fat suppression showed the highest CNR for cystic lesions and the best lesion conspicuity for cystic and solid le sions among the four sequences. For solid lesions, there was no significant difference of lesion-to-liver CNR between them. HASTE sequence was superio r to turbo SE sequences in terms of motion artifacts; however, the usefulne ss for evaluating focal hepatic lesions was Limited compared with turbo SE sequence with fat suppression. Addition of fat suppression was not helpful for HASTE imaging because of decreased lesion conspicuity and extrahepatic details without the advantage of reducing motion artifacts, This study sugg ests that turbo SE sequence with fat suppression is most useful for breath- hold T2-weighted liver imaging at 1.0 T. Addition of imaging without fat su ppression can be considered for evaluating extrahepatic structures. HASTE s equence may have a role for imaging uncooperative patients due to absence o f motion artifacts.