Fast three‐dimensional dual echo dixon technique improves fat suppression in breast MRI

Purpose:

To compare qualitative and quantitative measures of the contrast‐enhanced dual‐echo Dixon technique with the commonly used standard three‐dimensional (3D) gradient echo (spectrally selective fat suppression) technique (SS‐FS) in breast MRI exams (bMRI).

Materials and Methods:

A total of 19 women, with prescheduled bMRI exam, were recruited to our study between 2006 and 2008. Dixon and standard SS‐SF techniques were used on both breasts of each patient. Image quality was rated in five categories: fat suppression quality, fat suppression uniformity, lesion margin clarity, lesion visibility, and axillary visibility. For quantitative assessment, we calculated the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) of lesion to breast, SNR efficiency, and CNR efficiency.

Results:

Of 19 patients evaluated, 13 had a primary breast malignancy and 6 had benign lesions or negative exams. Dixon images were rated higher in four of five qualitative categories (P < 0.0001) and required a shorter scan time. Dixon images yielded significantly higher SNR (43.8) and CNR (40.1) values than did 3DGRE images (SNR = 34.8, CNR = 25.3; P < 0.05). SNR efficiency (36.30) and CNR efficiency (33.79) values for Dixon images were also higher than were 3DGRE images (SNR efficiency =25.7, CNR efficiency = 19.1; P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Dixon images were superior to the standard SS‐SF images in both qualitative and quantitative assessment of 19 bMRI exams. The Dixon technique could replace standard SS‐SF technique in bMRI exam, after our findings have been confirmed in future studies with a larger sample size. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:889–894. ©2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.