TY - JOUR
T1 - Magnetic resonance elastography of the liver
T2 - Qualitative and quantitative comparison of gradient echo and spin echo echoplanar imaging sequences
AU - Wagner, Mathilde
AU - Besa, Cecilia
AU - Ayache, Jad Bou
AU - Yasar, Temel Kaya
AU - Bane, Octavia
AU - Fung, Maggie
AU - Ehman, Richard L.
AU - Taouli, Bachir
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a General Electric Healthcare grant received by the Mount Sinai Radiology Department Bachir Taouli is currently receiving a grant (1R01DK087877) from the National Institutes of Health. Richard Ehman is currently receiving a grant (EB001981) from the National Institutes of Health. Mathilde Wagner has received a grant from the Société Française de Radiologie. Maggie Fung is an employee of GE Healthcare.
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. A.
PY - 2016/8/23
Y1 - 2016/8/23
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to compare 2-dimensional (2D) gradient recalled echo (GRE) and 2D spin echo echoplanar imaging (SE-EPI) magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) sequences of the liver in terms of image quality and quantitative liver stiffness (LS) measurement. Materials and Methods: This prospective study involved 50 consecutive subjects (male/female, 33/17; mean age, 58 years) who underwent liver magnetic resonance imaging at 3.0 T including 2 MRE sequences, 2D GRE, and 2D SE-EPI (acquisition time 56 vs 16 seconds, respectively). Image quality scores were assessed by 2 independent observers based on wave propagation and organ coverage on the confidence map (range, 0-15). A third observer measured LS on stiffness maps (in kilopascal). Mean LS values, regions of interest size (based on confidence map), and image quality scores between SE-EPI and GRE-MRE were compared using paired nonparametric Wilcoxon test. Reproducibility of LS values between the 2 sequences was assessed using intraclass coefficient correlation, coefficient of variation, and Bland-Altman limits of agreement. T2∗ effect on image quality was assessed using partial Spearman correlation. Results: There were 4 cases of failure with GRE-MRE and none with SE-EPI-MRE. Image quality scores and region of interest size were significantly higher using SE-EPI-MRE versus GRE-MRE (P < 0.0001 for both measurements and observers). Liver stiffness measurements were not significantly different between the 2 sequences (3.75 ± 1.87 kPa vs 3.55 ± 1.51 kPa, P = 0.062), were significantly correlated (intraclass coefficient correlation, 0.909), and had excellent reproducibility (coefficient of variation, 10.2%; bias, 0.023; Bland-Altman limits of agreement, -1.19; 1.66 kPa). Image quality scores using GRE-MRE were significantly correlated with T2∗ while there was no correlation for SE-EPI-MRE. Conclusions: Our data suggest that SE-EPI-MRE may be a better alternative to GRE-MRE. The diagnostic performance of SE-EPI-MRE for detection of liver fibrosis needs to be assessed in a future study.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to compare 2-dimensional (2D) gradient recalled echo (GRE) and 2D spin echo echoplanar imaging (SE-EPI) magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) sequences of the liver in terms of image quality and quantitative liver stiffness (LS) measurement. Materials and Methods: This prospective study involved 50 consecutive subjects (male/female, 33/17; mean age, 58 years) who underwent liver magnetic resonance imaging at 3.0 T including 2 MRE sequences, 2D GRE, and 2D SE-EPI (acquisition time 56 vs 16 seconds, respectively). Image quality scores were assessed by 2 independent observers based on wave propagation and organ coverage on the confidence map (range, 0-15). A third observer measured LS on stiffness maps (in kilopascal). Mean LS values, regions of interest size (based on confidence map), and image quality scores between SE-EPI and GRE-MRE were compared using paired nonparametric Wilcoxon test. Reproducibility of LS values between the 2 sequences was assessed using intraclass coefficient correlation, coefficient of variation, and Bland-Altman limits of agreement. T2∗ effect on image quality was assessed using partial Spearman correlation. Results: There were 4 cases of failure with GRE-MRE and none with SE-EPI-MRE. Image quality scores and region of interest size were significantly higher using SE-EPI-MRE versus GRE-MRE (P < 0.0001 for both measurements and observers). Liver stiffness measurements were not significantly different between the 2 sequences (3.75 ± 1.87 kPa vs 3.55 ± 1.51 kPa, P = 0.062), were significantly correlated (intraclass coefficient correlation, 0.909), and had excellent reproducibility (coefficient of variation, 10.2%; bias, 0.023; Bland-Altman limits of agreement, -1.19; 1.66 kPa). Image quality scores using GRE-MRE were significantly correlated with T2∗ while there was no correlation for SE-EPI-MRE. Conclusions: Our data suggest that SE-EPI-MRE may be a better alternative to GRE-MRE. The diagnostic performance of SE-EPI-MRE for detection of liver fibrosis needs to be assessed in a future study.
KW - Gradient recalled echo
KW - Liver stiffness
KW - Magnetic resonance elastography
KW - Spin echo echoplanar
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84961226587&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84961226587&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000269
DO - 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000269
M3 - Article
C2 - 26982699
AN - SCOPUS:84961226587
SN - 0020-9996
VL - 51
SP - 575
EP - 581
JO - Investigative Radiology
JF - Investigative Radiology
IS - 9
ER -