MRI of the neck at 3 Tesla using the periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) (BLADE) sequence compared with T2‐weighted fast spin‐echo sequence

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate motion artifacts, tissue contrasts, and lesion detectability in the neck with the periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) (BLADE) technique. Materials and Methods:A total of 46 patients referred for MRI of the neck were included in a comparison of T2-weighted BLADE (T2W-BLADE) sequence and T2W fast spin-echo (T2W-FSE) sequence. All examinations were performed at 3T using the same parameters. Two observers evaluated unlabelled images for motion artifacts, the preferred image quality, and lesion detectability. Region of interest (ROI)-based quantitative measurements were performed to assess tissue contrasts. The frequency of occurrence of the different assessed artifacts and the lesion detectability was tested using McNemar's test. Tissue contrasts were compared using the Wilcoxon paired test. Reader agreement was assessed using kappa test.Results: T2W-BLADE showed less ghosting and pulsation artifacts than T2W-FSE (P < 0.01). T2W-BLADE images were rated as better than or equal to T2W-FSE images in majority cases (93.5%; kappa ¼ 0.64). There was not significant difference in tissue contrasts between T2W-BLADE and T2W-FSE. A total of 32 lesions were present in 32 patients and equally well seen on T2W-BLADE and T2W-FSE.Conclusion: T2W-BLADE can reduce motion artifacts and provide tissue contrasts and lesion detectability equivalent to T2W-FSE. ALTHOUGH T2-WEIGHTED fast spin-echo (T2W-FSE) magnetic resonance (MR) sequences are sensitive for the detection of some types of pathologic conditions, they have the disadvantage of relatively long acquisition times (1). This can lead to degradation of images in the neck as a result of swallowing, tongue movement, and upper chest wall movement.The periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) (BLADE) MR technique can reduce artifacts induced by in plane rotation and translational head motion using an alternative way of sampling k-space (2-9). Unlike rectilinear k-space sampling, this method acquires multiple echo trains of a turbo spin echo (TSE) in a rotating partially overlapping fashion, so-called BLADES.The BLADE technique has the advantage of central k-space oversampling, so that image artifacts are greatly reduced in the brain and the upper abdomen (2-4,7-10). On the other hand, it is not yet evaluated that the BLADE sequence at 3 T can reduce motion artifacts in the neck region. The aim of this study was to compare T2W BLADE sequence with T2W FSE sequence in the neck, with an evaluation of the presence of motion artifacts, tissue contrasts, and lesion detectability. MATERIALS AND METHODS PatientsFrom April 2007 through October 2007, we performed a prospective intraindividual study in patients who were referred for MRI of the neck. We included 46 consecutive patients (31 men, 15 women; mean age ¼ 57.2 years) referred for MRI of the neck in a comparison of T2W BLADE and T2W FSE.The study design was approved by our institutional review board, and all patients ga...

Periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction acquisition to improve motion-induced artifacts in bladder cancer imaging

“…[3,8] Other studies showed that the method also improved the anatomical imaging (T1W or/and T2W) of cardiac, lungs, and head and neck by motion reduction. [6,9,12,14] Our study is the first to report that the severity of respiration and peristalsis induced artifacts on bladder imaging can be compensated by using PROPELLER, which appears to be a valuable tool to ensure consistent diagnostic image quality.…”

Improved motion correction in PROPELLER by using grouped blades as reference

“…For the second case of bipolar motion, the blades gather around two principal locations as anticipated. For group1, it includes blade 1,6,7,12,13,14,19,20 if counting from left to right and top to bottom; group 2 includes blade 2, 3,4,8,9,10,11,15,16,17,18. Blade 5 suffers from severe corruption.…”

“…The data in this circular area are then used as reference data for rigid motion correction of both rotation and translation. This technique offers intrinsic advantages over other methods with respect to patient motion, thus it has attracted significant clinical adoption (1,(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Because of its inherent reduced sensitivity to various sources of image artifacts, such as B0-related artifacts in EPI techniques, PROPELLER has also been used for diffusion MR imaging (8)(9)(10)(11).…”

Hyperecho PROPELLER-MRI: Application to rapid high-resolution motion-insensitiveT2-weighted black-blood imaging of the carotid arterial vessel wall and plaque

“…Third, the HEP sequence would be applicable not only for the carotid plaque imaging but also for other applications. Indeed, Ohgiya et al have reported that PROPELLER is a good method for obtaining motion‐insensitive high‐quality imaging for lesion detection in the neck. However, they simultaneously described that the major disadvantage of PROPELLER in the neck is the occasional degradation of image quality due to streak artifacts.…”