Echo-Planar Imaging of the Abdomen

摘要: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen has been limited clinical value because long examination times, motion artifacts, and lack suitable contrast agents [1–7]. Echo-planar MRI (EPI) its derivatives have developed to provide ultrafast capability thus eliminating motion-related volume-averaging phase-encoding artifacts (Fig. 1) combined with acquisition purely T2-weighted images using single-excitation techniques (TR = ∞) [8–19]. Major disadvantages in past need for specifically designed systems, suboptimal resolution (64×64 or 64×128), narrow magnet bores, multi-slice capability, restricted slice orientation [20–23]. Limitations due poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) encouraged a trend from low-field MR systems middle- high-field [1, 10, 20, 24–26]. EPI is currently being prepared installation into by various manufactures 9, 24] recent technical advances almost free-slice orientation, anatomical resolution, sufficient SNR values 27, 28]. can be performed on conventional scanners, wide spectrum pulse sequences available [14, 15, 17–19, 29]. The purpose this chapter describe potential applications abdominal EPI.