Comparison of SPACE and 3D TSE MRCP at 1.5T Focusing on Difference in Echo Spacing

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Purpose: We compared the image quality of SPACE (sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolutions) and conventional 3D turbo spin echo (TSE) magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) at 1.5 tesla with regard to difference in echo spacing. Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers prospectively underwent navigator-triggered SPACE and 3D TSE MRCP at 1.5T with identical parameters, except for echo spacing. Quantitative analyses of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), relative contrast, and contour sharpness index of each segment of the pancreaticobiliary tree were compared using paired t-tests. Qualitative analyses on a 5-point scale (1, excellent; 5, poor) scored by 2 independent radiologists were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The SNR, CNR, and contour sharpness index of each segment were significantly better for the SPACE sequence than 3D TSE (P<0.05). Relative contrast and subjective image quality were not significantly different (P>0.05). Conclusion: We verified SPACE MRCP quantitatively superior to conventional 3D TSE MRCP at 1.5T as a result of shortening of echo spacing.
2009-09-01