Diffusion-weighted imaging with simultaneous multi-slice echo-planar technique for the diagnosis of breast magnetic resonance imaging

• Published in: Japanese journal of radiology Vol. 38; no. 4; pp. 358 - 364
• Main Authors: Machida, Youichi, Nomura, Kyoko, Shimauchi, Akiko, Kato, Yoshiaki, Nagatsuka, Machiko, Fukuma, Eisuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01-04-2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Area Under Curve; Breast; Breast - diagnostic imaging; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Confidence intervals; Conspicuity; Diagnostic systems; Diffusion; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Echo-Planar Imaging - methods; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Imaging; Lesions; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medical diagnosis; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nuclear Medicine; Original Article; Prospective Studies; Radiology; Radiotherapy; Resonance; ROC Curve; Diffusion-weighted imaging; Simultaneous multi-slice echo-planar; Breast; Magnetic resonance imaging; Apparent diffusion coefficient
• ISSN: 1867-1071; 1867-108X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11604-020-00919-3

Purpose
To evaluate the diagnostic potential of simultaneous multi-slice echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (SMS-DWI).
Materials and methods
A total of 55 consecutive patients underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between April and September 2018. SMS-DWI and single-shot echo-planar DWI (SS-EPI-DWI) sequences were obtained with the following parameters:
b
value, 0, 850, and 1200 mm
2
/s for both; spacing between sections, 2 mm for SMS-DWI and 3 mm for SS-EPI-DWI. Lesion visibility was assessed by two radiologists, and minimal and maximal apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) for masses were measured. The Mann–Whitney
U
test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed.
Results
Of the 55 cases, 23 (41.8%) were malignant and 32 (58.2%) were benign. Visual conspicuity was superior on SMS-DWI in 47.1% (
n
 = 16/34) or 55.9% (
n
 = 19/34) among the lesions visible on DWI and ADC. ROC curve analyses revealed an area under the curve of 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68–1.00], 0.94 (95% CI 0.86–1.00), 0.93 (95% CI 0.84–1.00) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.77–1.00) for minimal and maximal ADC on SMS-DWI and ADC on SS-EPI-DWI, respectively.
Conclusion
Simultaneous multi-slice technique provided breast DWI of better visual conspicuity and comparable diagnostic performance with shorter acquisition time.