Comparison of free breathing ultrashort echo time and star volume interpolation se-quence in pulmonary nodules
JIANG Yehai
ZHANG Xuyang
PU Doudou
DANG Shan
REN Zhanli
LI Peng
WANG Shaoyu
YU Nan
Abstract：Objective To compare the image quality and the ability of showing nodules and morphology of lung nodules in MRI free breathing sequence:star volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination(star VIBE)sequence and spiral ultrashort echo time sequence(spiral UTE).Methods Patients with pulmonary nodules detected by chest CT and examined by chest MRI from November 2019 to September 2022 were collected.The interval between CT and MRI was 48 h.MRI examination was performed with star VIBE sequence and spiral UTE sequence.Two radiologists used the 5-point method to independently evaluate the image quality of MRI sequences,and compared the detection rate of pulmonary nodules and the ability to display morphological signs.Results In terms of image quality evaluation,the vascular sharpness score of spiral UTE image was higher than that of star VIBE sequence(P<0.05),while the motion artifact score of star VIBE image was lower than that of spiral UTE image.In terms of nodule detection ability,the ground glass nodule detection rate of spiral UTE sequence was higher than that of star VIBE sequence(P<0.05),and the total detection rate of nodules in the middle and lower lobe was higher than that of star VIBE sequence(P<0.05).The detection rates of lobulation,burr,spinous process,vacuole and cavity in Spiral UTE sequence(90.90%,85.71%,88.88%,100%,100%)were higher than those in star VIBE sequence(86.36%,71.42%,77.77%,50%,83.33%),but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion Star VIBE sequence and spiral UTE sequence have their own advantages.Star VIBE sequence is not easily affected by respiration and cardiac movement.Spiral UTE sequence can better detect middle and lower lobe nodules,especially ground glass nodules,and spiral UTE sequence can better clarify pulmonary vessels.Therefore,star VIBE sequence scan is recommended for patients with large and irregular breathing,and spiral UTE sequence is recommended for patients with ground glass nodules and middle and lower lobe nodules.
Keywords：magnetic resonance imagingultrashort echo timepulmonary nodulesstar VIBE sequence
Publication Date：2023-12-28
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 1015-1020 )