Radiology, Vol 195, 769-776, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

MR imaging of the abdomen with a phased-array multicoil: prospective clinical evaluation

NG Campeau, CD Johnson, JP Felmlee, JN Rydberg, RK Butts, RL Ehman and SJ Riederer
Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare use of a phased-array multicoil and a conventional body coil in abdominal MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients (seven men, six women; mean age, 55 years) underwent imaging with a phased-array multicoil and with a conventional body coil. Four pulse sequences were used: T2-weighted spin echo (SE), magnetization-prepared gradient-recalled echo (GRE), breath-hold fast SE, and echo planar (EP). RESULTS: Lesion detection improved the most on fast SE, multicoil-acquired images. Signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) increased 64% with fast SE (P = .0005) and EP (P < .0109) sequences. Contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N) doubled (P < .05) with T2-weighted SE sequences. Lesion conspicuity improved on multicoil-acquired images with all fast sequences (magnetization-prepared GRE, P = .015; fast SE, P = .002; EP imaging, P = .013). There was little difference in respiratory and vascular artifact. Depiction of most abdominal structures improved (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Use of the phased-array multicoil provides better MR images of the abdomen than does use of a conventional body coil.

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