A 3D Dual-Echo Spiral Sequence for Simultaneous Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI With Single Bolus Injection

Authors

Zhiqiang Li
Dinghui Wang
Melvyn B Ooi
Poonam Choudhary
Sudarshan Ragunathan
John P Karis
James G Pipe
C Chad Quarles
Ashley M Stokes

Publication Date

8-1-2024

Journal

Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

DOI

10.1002/mrm.30077

PMID

38469930

PMCID

PMC11207201

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

8-1-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Abstract

Purpose: Perfusion MRI reveals important tumor physiological and pathophysiologic information, making it a critical component in managing brain tumor patients. This study aimed to develop a dual-echo 3D spiral technique with a single-bolus scheme to simultaneously acquire both dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) data and overcome the limitations of current EPI-based techniques.

Methods: A 3D spiral-based technique with dual-echo acquisition was implemented and optimized on a 3T MRI scanner with a spiral staircase trajectory and through-plane SENSE acceleration for improved speed and image quality, in-plane variable-density undersampling combined with a sliding-window acquisition and reconstruction approach for increased speed, and an advanced iterative deblurring algorithm. Four volunteers were scanned and compared with the standard of care (SOC) single-echo EPI and a dual-echo EPI technique. Two patients were scanned with the spiral technique during a preload bolus and compared with the SOC single-echo EPI collected during the second bolus injection.

Results: Volunteer data demonstrated that the spiral technique achieved high image quality, reduced geometric artifacts, and high temporal SNR compared with both single-echo and dual-echo EPI. Patient perfusion data showed that the spiral acquisition achieved accurate DSC quantification comparable to SOC single-echo dual-dose EPI, with the additional DCE information.

Conclusion: A 3D dual-echo spiral technique was developed to simultaneously acquire both DSC and DCE data in a single-bolus injection with reduced contrast use. Preliminary volunteer and patient data demonstrated increased temporal SNR, reduced geometric artifacts, and accurate perfusion quantification, suggesting a competitive alternative to SOC-EPI techniques for brain perfusion MRI.

Keywords

Humans, Contrast Media, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Algorithms, Brain Neoplasms, Brain, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Echo-Planar Imaging, Artifacts, Male, Female, Adult, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Signal-To-Noise Ratio, Image Enhancement, Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted, spiral acquisition, dual echo, perfusion MRI, DCE, DSC

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Li, Zhiqiang; Wang, Dinghui; Ooi, Melvyn B; et al., "A 3D Dual-Echo Spiral Sequence for Simultaneous Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI With Single Bolus Injection" (2024). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 6448.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthgsbs_docs/6448