Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of the reduced field-of-view (rFOV) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with computed DWI technique by comparison and analysis of the inter-method agreement among acquired rFOV DWI (rFOVA), rFOV DWI with computed DWI ...
Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of the reduced field-of-view (rFOV) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with computed DWI technique by comparison and analysis of the inter-method agreement among acquired rFOV DWI (rFOVA), rFOV DWI with computed DWI technique (synthetic rFOV DWI; rFOVS), and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with breast cancer.
Methods: Totally, 130 biopsy-proven breast cancers from 130 women (age, 34-87 years; mean, 52.7 years) who underwent breast MRI from April 2017 to December 2017 were included. The image-sets of conventional rFOVA and rFOVS were reviewed and analyzed by comparing with DCE MRI. The rFOVS were reformatted by calculation of the apparent diffusion coefficient curve obtained from conventional rFOVA b=0 s/mm2 and b=500 s/mm2. Visual assessment of the image quality of rFOVA b=1000 s/mm2, rFOVS, and DCE MRI was done using a 4-point grading system. Morphologic analyses of the shape, margin, and size of the index cancer was performed on rFOVA, rFOVS and DCE MRI. For quantitative analysis, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and contrast of tumor-to-parenchyma (TPC) were calculated.
Results: Image quality scores with rFOVA, rFOVS, and DCE MRI were not significantly different (P=0.357). Lesion analysis of shape, margin, and size of the index cancer also did not show significant differences among the three sequences (P=0.858, P=0.242, and P=0.858, respectively). SNR, CNR, and TPC of DCE MRI were significantly higher than those of rFOVA and rFOVS (P<0.001, P=0.001, and P=0.016, respectively). Statistically significant differences were not found between the SNR, CNR, and TPC of rFOVA and those of rFOVS (P>0.999, P>0.999, and P>0.999, respectively).
Conclusion: The rFOVA and rFOVS showed nearly equivalent levels of image quality required for morphological analysis of the tumors and for lesion conspicuity compared with DCE MRI. The rFOVS may be useful in the clinical setting due to decreased acquisition time and avoidance of contrast agent.