T2-weighted MR imaging for focal hepatic lesion detection: supplementary value of breath-hold imaging with half-Fourier single-shot fast spin-echo and multishot spin-echo echoplanar sequences

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the supplementary value of breath-hold fat-suppressed T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with half-Fourier single-shot fast spin-echo (SE) or multishot SE echoplanar (EP) sequences combined with respiratory-triggered fat-suppressed fast SE T2-weighted MR imaging for detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions. MR images in 42 patients with 82 solid, malignant and 77 nonsolid, benign lesions were analyzed. Image review was conducted on a segment-by-segment basis; in all, 333 liver segments were reviewed separately for solid and nonsolid lesions by three independent radiologists. For solid lesions, observer performance with receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis in one radiologist and specificity in another significantly improved after adding single-shot fast SE images. For nonsolid lesions, observer performance with ROC analysis in one radiologist and specificity in another significantly improved after adding single-shot fast SE images. Combining breath-hold half-Fourier single-shot fast SE imaging with respiratory-triggered fast SE imaging may be recommended for improved detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2000;12:444-452.