Compressed sensing with deep learning reconstruction: Improving capability of gadolinium-EOB-enhanced 3D T1WI.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of compressed sensing (CS) with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) for improving spatial resolution, image quality and focal liver lesion detection on high-resolution contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (HR-CE-T1WI) obtained by CS with DLR as compared with conventional CE-T1WI with parallel imaging (PI). METHODS: Seventy-seven participants with focal liver lesions underwent conventional CE-T1WI with PI and HR-CE-T1WI, surgical resection, transarterial chemoembolization, and radiofrequency ablation, followed by histopathological or >2-year follow-up examinations in our hospital. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of liver, spleen and kidney were calculated for each patient, after which each SNR was compared by means of paired t-test. To compare focal lesion detection capabilities of the two methods, a 5-point visual scoring system was adopted for a per lesion basis analysis. Jackknife free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) analysis was then performed, while sensitivity and false positive rates (/data set) for consensus assessment of the two methods were also compared by using McNemar's test or the signed rank test. RESULTS: Each SNR of HR-CE-T1WI was significantly higher than that of conventional CE-T1WI with PI (p < 0.05). Sensitivities for consensus assessment showed that HR-CE-MRI had significantly higher sensitivity than conventional CE-T1WI with PI (p = 0.004). Moreover, there were significantly fewer FP/cases for HR-CE-T1WI than for conventional CE-T1WI with PI (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: CS with DLR are useful for improving spatial resolution, image quality and focal liver lesion detection capability of Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced 3D T1WI without any need for longer breath-holding time.

Diffusion weighted imaging with reverse encoding distortion correction: Improvement of image quality and distortion for accurate ADC evaluation in in vitro and in vivo studies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vivo study was to determine the effect of reverse encoding direction (RDC) on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements and its efficacy for improving image quality and diagnostic performance for differentiating malignant from benign tumors on head and neck diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). METHODS: Forty-eight patients with head and neck tumors underwent DWI with and without RDC and pathological examinations. Their tumors were then divided into two groups: malignant (n = 21) and benign (n = 27). To determine the utility of RDC for DWI, the difference in the deformation ratio (DR) between DWI and T2-weighted images of each tumor was determined for each tumor area. To compare ADC measurement accuracy of DWIs with and without RDC for each patient, ADC values for tumors and spinal cord were determined by using ROI measurements. To compare DR and ADC between two methods, Student's t-tests were performed. Then, ADC values were compared between malignant and benign tumors by Student's t-test on each DWI. Finally, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were compared by means of McNemar's test. RESULTS: DR of DWI with RDC was significantly smaller than that without RDC (p < 0.0001). There were significant differences in ADC between malignant and benign lesions on each DWI (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant difference of diagnostic accuracy between the two DWIs (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: RDC can improve image quality and distortion of DWI and may have potential for more accurate ADC evaluation and differentiation of malignant from benign head and neck tumors.

Deep Learning Reconstruction to Improve the Quality of MR Imaging: Evaluating the Best Sequence for T-category Assessment in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE: Deep learning reconstruction (DLR) has been recommended as useful for improving image quality. Moreover, compressed sensing (CS) or DLR has been proposed as useful for improving temporal resolution and image quality on MR sequences in different body fields. However, there have been no reports regarding the utility of DLR for image quality and T-factor assessment improvements on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), short inversion time (TI) inversion recovery (STIR) imaging, and unenhanced- and contrast-enhanced (CE) 3D fast spoiled gradient echo (GRE) imaging with and without CS in comparison with thin-section multidetector-row CT (MDCT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of DLR for improving image quality and the appropriate sequence for T-category assessment for NSCLC patients. METHODS: As subjects for this study, 213 pathologically diagnosed NSCLC patients who underwent thin-section MDCT and MR imaging as well as T-factor diagnosis were retrospectively enrolled. SNR of each tumor was calculated and compared by paired t-test for each sequence with and without DLR. T-factor for each patient was assessed with thin-section MDCT and all MR sequences, and the accuracy for T-factor diagnosis was compared among all sequences and thin-section CT by means of McNemar's test. RESULTS: SNRs of T2WI, STIR imaging, unenhanced thin-section Quick 3D imaging, and CE-thin-section Quick 3D imaging with DLR were significantly higher than SNRs of those without DLR (P < 0.05). Diagnostic accuracy of STIR imaging and CE-thick- or thin-section Quick 3D imaging was significantly higher than that of thin-section CT, T2WI, and unenhanced thick- or thin-section Quick 3D imaging (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: DLR is thus considered useful for image quality improvement on MR imaging. STIR imaging and CE-Quick 3D imaging with or without CS were validated as appropriate MR sequences for T-factor evaluation in NSCLC patients.

Reverse encoding distortion correction for diffusion-weighted MRI: Efficacy for improving image quality and ADC evaluation for differentiating malignant from benign areas in suspected prostatic cancer patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the influenceof reverse encoding distortion correction (RDC) on ADC measurement and its efficacy for improving image quality and diagnostic performance for differentiating malignant from benign prostatic areas on prostatic DWI. METHODS: Forty suspected prostatic cancer patients underwent DWI with or without RDC (i.e. RDC DWI or DWI) using a 3 T MR system as well as pathological examinations. The pathological examination results indicated 86 areas were malignant while 86 out of 394 areas were computationally selected as benign. SNR for benign areas and muscle and ADCs for malignant and benign areas were determined by ROI measurements on each DWI. Moreover, overall image quality was assessed with a 5-point visual scoring system on each DWI. Paired t-test or Wilcoxon's signed rank test was performed to compare SNR and overall image quality for DWIs. ROC analysis was then used to compare the diagnostic performance, and sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP) and accuracy (AC) of ADC were compared between two DWI by means of McNemar's test. RESULTS: SNR and overall image quality of RDC DWI showed significant improvements when compared with those of DWI (p < 0.05). Areas under the curve (AUC), SP and AC of DWI RDC DWI (AUC: 0.85, SP: 72.1%, AC: 79.1%) were significantly better than those of DWI (AUC: 0.79, p = 0.008; SP: 64%, p = 0.02; AC: 74.4%, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: RDC technique has the potential to improve image quality and ability to differentiate malignant from benign prostatic areas on DWIs of suspected prostatic cancer patients.

[Evaluation of the right internal iliac artery which is anastomosed to transplant renal artery using non-contrast enhanced MR angiography with electrocardiography-gated and 3D True SSFP time-spatial labeling inversion pulse sequence].

To evaluate whether electrocardiography-gated is useful in non-contrast-enhanced MRA with time-spatial labeling inversion pulse (Time-SLIP) in renal transplantation patients compared with respiration-triggered free-breathing. Simulation-based analyses of black blood time interval (BBTI) values for spatial selective inversion-recovery pulse and electrocardiography rates were performed, and confirmed on human subjects using a three-dimensional (3D) coherent steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence on a 1.5 tesla Toshiba MRI scanner. Signal acquisition interval and BBTI values in which signal of a water tissue becomes the null point showed a strong correlation, and successfully suppressed signals from the background and provided better contrast between the arteries and the background. Because electrocardiography-gated non-contrast MRA does not depend on the respiration interval, providing a contrast stable, it was suggested to be an effective screening tool for evaluation of pelvic arteries.

[Optimal imaging parameters and the advantage of cerebrospinal fluid flow image using time-spatial labeling inversion pulse at 3 tesla magnetic resonance imaging: comparison of image quality for 1.5 tesla magnetic resonance imaging].

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) imaging by time-spatial labeling inversion pulse (Time-SLIP) technique is labeled by CSF with a selective inversion recovery (IR) pulse as internal tracer, thus making it possible to visualize CSF dynamics non-invasively. The purpose of this study was to clarify labeled CSF signals during various black blood time to inversion (BBTI) values at 3 tesla (T) and 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to determine appropriate CSF imaging parameters at 3 T MRI in 10 healthy volunteers. To calculate optimal BBTI values, ROIs were set in untagged cerebral parenchyma and CSF on the image of the CSF flow from the aqueduct to the fourth ventricle in 1.5 T and 3 T MRI. Visual evaluation of CSF flow also was assessed with changes of matrix and echo time (TE) at 3 T MRI. The mean BBTI value at null point of untagged CSF in 3 T MRI was longer than that of 1.5 T. The MR conditions of the highest visual evaluation were FOV, 14 cm×14 cm; Matrix, 192×192; and TE, 117 ms. CSF imaging using Time-SLIP at 3 T MRI is expected visualization of CSF flow and clarification of CSF dynamics in more detail by setting the optimal conditions because 3 T MRI has the advantage of high contrast and high signal-to-noise ratio.

Phosphorus supply per capita from food in Japan between 1960 and 1995.

The awareness of phosphorus intake is important because hyperphosphatemia and hypophosphatemia both impair bone metabolism. Phosphorus consumption from food was obtained from values in the Food Balance Sheet (PBS) of Japan from 1960 to 1995. The amounts of phosphorus calculated from the FBS increased gradually from 1,243 mg/d in 1960 to 1,332 mg/d in 1975 and to 1,421 mg/d in 1995. This is explained by the increased consumption of cow's milk and milk products, meat, and chicken eggs. The main foods supplying phosphorus in 1995 were cereals, milk and milk products, fishes and shellfishes, and vegetables; their contributions were 24.4, 15.8, 14.2, and 10.9%, respectively. The phosphorus-to-calcium ratio calculated from the FBS was 3.51 in 1960, which decreased to 2.89 in 1975 and 2.44 in 1995. Therefore total phosphorus consumption in 1995 was presumably more than 1,500 mg/d when imported food containing phosphorus and the consumption of phosphorus-containing food additives in Japan are also considered. These findings suggest that the phosphorus consumption estimated from the FBS is increasing and that more attention should be paid to the maintenance of healthy bones in Japan, where the average amount of calcium intake is less than 600 mg/d.