Clinical Application of Controlled Aliasing in Parallel Imaging Results in a Higher Acceleration (CAIPIRINHA)-Volumetric Interpolated Breathhold (VIBE) Sequence for Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced Liver MR Imaging

PurposeTo determine whether a controlled aliasing in parallel imaging results in higher acceleration (CAIPIRINHA) technique can improve the image quality of three-dimensional (3D), T1-weighted gradient echo (T1w-GRE) imaging compared with the use of a standard, parallel acquisition technique (PAT). Materials and MethodsSixty-four patients who underwent liver MR on a 3 Tesla (T) scanner, were included in this study. Twenty minutes after the injection of 0.025 mmole/kg of gadoxetic acid, 3D T1w-GRE imaging (volumetric interpolated breathhold examination [VIBE]) was acquired twice using a generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (384 x 250 matrix, acceleration factor [AF] of 2) and a CAIPIRINHA (384 x 380 matrix, AF of 4), respectively. Qualitative image analysis was performed for two image sets. ResultsCAIPIRINHA-VIBE showed better hepatic vessel clarity and lesion conspicuity than standard VIBE (P < 0.05). CAIPIRINHA-VIBE in the coronal plane also provided better results of motion artifact and liver edge sharpness than the standard VIBE (P < 0.05). Despite the more apparent PAT artifact on CAIPIRINHA-VIBE than on standard VIBE (P < 0.05), CAIPIRINHA-VIBE showed better overall image quality. ConclusionThe CAIPIRINHA-VIBE was able to provide a higher spatial resolution, T1-weighted imaging with better image quality compared with a standard VIBE. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:1020-1026. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.