ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: A comparison of ultra rapid T2-weighted HASTE and HASTE-STIR sequences during suspended respiration for the detection of focal lesions of the liver. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients (59 +/- 12 years) with a total of 33 focal lesions (7 < or = 1 cm, 19 < or = 3 cm; 17 cystic liquid and 16 solid lesions) were examined with a 1.5 T MR apparatus. Sequences: T2 weighted HASTE (TEeff = 64 ms, 90 ms), HASTE-STIR (TEeff = 64 ms, 81 ms) TSE (TE = 132 ms) and T1-weighted FLASH 2D. RESULTS: The T2-weighted TSE and both HASTE sequences showed all the lesions. Two out of the 33 lesions were not demonstrated by the other sequences. Best image quality without movement artefacts and the best resolution of the lesions in the T2-weighted sequences, with the most favourable contrast/noise ratio (36.6 +/- 33.1) and signal/noise ratio (20.8 +/- 10.5) resulted from the HASTE 90, followed by the HASTE 64 sequence (27.5 +/- 24.2; 24.6 +/- 9.1). Both these techniques were superior to the TSE sequence (23.9 +/- 29.4; 13.9 +/- 7.4), which resulted in movement artifacts. With the HASTE-STIR sequences it was possible to show 31 and 32 of the 33 lesions respectively, with very good resolution but poor signal/noise ratio. CONCLUSION: HASTE sequences have the potential of improving the diagnosis of focal liver lesions.
