Anatomic MR images obtained with silent sequences

The authors evaluated silent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences for their suitability in providing high-spatial-resolution anatomic images that are of sufficient quality to be useful in a clinical setting. The authors compared the images obtained with a silent rapid acquisition with relaxatio n enhancement (RARE) sequence to its standard counterpart with respect to s ignal-to-noise ratio, distribution of gray level, and spatial resolution. N o real differences were observed between the standard and the silent RARE M R images. Anatomic images were also acquired with a silent spin-echo sequen ce. Acoustic noise levels with the silent sequences were at least 22 dB (A- weighted scale) lower than those with standard sequences, without loss of i mage quality.