RACER-GRASP: Respiratory-weighted, aortic contrast enhancement-guided and coil-unstreaking golden-angle radial sparse MRI

Magn Reson Med. 2018 Jul;80(1):77-89. doi: 10.1002/mrm.27002. Epub 2017 Nov 28.

Abstract

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a novel dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging technique called RACER-GRASP (Respiratory-weighted, Aortic Contrast Enhancement-guided and coil-unstReaking Golden-angle RAdial Sparse Parallel) MRI that extends GRASP to include automatic contrast bolus timing, respiratory motion compensation, and coil-weighted unstreaking for improved imaging performance in liver MRI.

Methods: In RACER-GRASP, aortic contrast enhancement (ACE) guided k-space sorting and respiratory-weighted sparse reconstruction are performed using aortic contrast enhancement and respiratory motion signals extracted directly from the acquired data. Coil unstreaking aims to weight multicoil k-space according to streaking artifact level calculated for each individual coil during image reconstruction, so that coil elements containing a high level of streaking artifacts contribute less to the final results. Self-calibrating GRAPPA operator gridding was applied as a pre-reconstruction step to reduce computational burden in the subsequent iterative reconstruction. The RACER-GRASP technique was compared with standard GRASP reconstruction in a group of healthy volunteers and patients referred for clinical liver MR examination.

Results: Compared with standard GRASP, RACER-GRASP significantly improved overall image quality (average score: 3.25 versus 3.85) and hepatic vessel sharpness/clarity (average score: 3.58 versus 4.0), and reduced residual streaking artifact level (average score: 3.23 versus 3.94) in different contrast phases. RACER-GRASP also enabled automatic timing of the arterial phases.

Conclusions: The aortic contrast enhancement-guided sorting, respiratory motion suppression and coil unstreaking introduced by RACER-GRASP improve upon the imaging performance of standard GRASP for free-breathing dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of the liver. Magn Reson Med 80:77-89, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Keywords: DCE-MRI; RACER-GRASP; coil unstreaking; compressed sensing; free breathing; liver; radial imaging; streaking artifact.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Algorithms
  • Aorta / diagnostic imaging*
  • Artifacts
  • Breath Holding
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Computer Simulation
  • Contrast Media
  • Data Compression
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motion
  • Respiration*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Contrast Media