Investig Magn Reson Imaging.  2015 Mar;19(1):31-36. 10.13104/imri.2015.19.1.31.

Contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Metastases at 7.0T versus 1.5T: A Preliminary Result

• Paek SH
• Kim JH
• Choi SH
• Yoon TJ
• Son YD
• Kim DG
• Cho ZH
• Sohn CH

• KMID: 2175574
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.13104/imri.2015.19.1.31

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare the depiction of brain metastases on contrast-enhanced images with 7.0 tesla (T) and at 1.5T MRI.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Four consecutive patients with brain metastases were scanned on 7.0T whole-body scanner and 1.5T MRI. A 3D T1-weighted gradient echo sequence (3D T1-GRE) at 1.5T (voxel size = 0.9 x 0.9 x 1.5 mm3 after double-dose, gadoterate meglumine, Gd-DOTA) was compared to a 7.0T 3D T1-GRE sequence (voxel size = 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.8 mm3, single-dose Gd-DOTA) in four patients after a 5 minute delay. The number of contrast-enhancing metastases in MPRAGE images was compared in each patient by two radiologists in consensus. We measured contrast ratio of enhancing brain metastases and white matter in 1.5T and 7.0T.
RESULTS
In all four patients 7.0T 3D T1-GRE images after single-dose Gd-DOTA and 1.5T after double-dose Gd-DOTA depicted 11 brain metastases equally. In the quantitative analysis of contrast ratios of enhancing brain metastases and white matter, the 1.5T 3D T1-GRE after double-dose showed an increased contrast ratio compared to 7.0T 3D T1-GRE after single-dose (0.961 +/- 0.571 versus 0.885 +/- 0.494; n = 11 metastases). But this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.711).
CONCLUSION
Our preliminary results indicate that 7.0T single-dose Gd-enhanced images were not different to 1.5T double-dose Gd-enhanced images for the detection of brain metastases.

Keyword

Brain metastasis; Magnetic resonance imaging; 7T MRI

MeSH Terms

Brain*
Consensus
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Meglumine
Neoplasm Metastasis*
Meglumine

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 63-years-old woman with single brain metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma. Double-dose Gd-enhanced axial 3D T1-GRE image shows a ring like enhancing lesion at the right precentral gyrus at 1.5T (a), and single-dose Gd-enhanced 3D T1-GRE image clearly demonstrates the peripheral enhancing rim portion of the metastasis at 7.0T (b).

• 

  Fig. 2 56-years-old woman with five brain metastases from lung adenocarcinoma. A right paracentral lobule metastasis (white arrow) has similar signal intensity at 1.5T double-dose (a) and 7.0T single-dose (b) Gd-based axial T1-GRE images (mean tumor-brain contrast ratio 0.604/0.611 = 1.5T/7.0T).

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