Single breath-hold MR imaging of liver

Single breath-hold gradient echo images with Small Tip Angle Gradient Echo (STAGE) were evaluated in the study of liver in 16 patients (4 normal liver, 5 hepatoma, 5 cholangiocarcinoma, 1 hemangioma, 1 cavernous transformation of portal vein). We obtained one slice of gradient echo during single breath-hold at the level of pathology defined on conventional spin echo image. Single breath-hold gradient echo images were compared with spin echo images for image quality and artifacts. Single breath-hold gradient image showed improved resolution of vascular detail and excellent contrast between lesion and adjacent normal liver in hepatoma. Cholangiocarcinoma showed decreased contrast between lesion and biliary trees but improved contrast between lesion and blood vessel. Cavernous transformation of portal vein was noted as tortuous vessel of high signal intensity. Single breath-hold gradient echo scan increased vascular artifact, but decreased respiratory artifact leading to improved image quality. Single breath-hold technique can reduce imaging time and improve image quality and may be used as complementary method to the spin echo scan