T2-weighted MRI and reduced-FOV diffusion-weighted imaging of the human pancreas at 5 T: A comparison study with 3 T

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of pancreatic imaging at 5 T and evaluate the practical improvement of T2-weighted MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at 5 T as compared with 3 T. Methods Eighteen healthy subjects were recruited for this pilot study. MRI examinations were performed using 3 and 5 T scanners. MRI sequences included T2-weighted fast spin-echo and DWI with reduced field-of-view. Subjective image analysis using a four-point Likert scale was performed by two experienced radiologists. The SNR, contrast ratio, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were measured in the pancreatic head, body, and tail. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the ADC was calculated. A series of paired Wilcoxon tests were used to compare the subjective image quality, mean ADC value, and CV of ADC between the 3 and 5 T measurements. p For T2-weighted images, there were no significant differences in image quality ratings between 3 and 5 T. On DWI images (b = 0 and 800 s/mm(2)), the image quality ratings were significantly higher at 5 T than at 3 T. The SNRs of both T2-weighted and DWI images were significantly higher at 5 T. There was no significant difference in the mean ADC values and CV of ADC between 3 and 5 T. Conclusion This initial study proved that 5 T MRI can be used to acquire pancreatic images with higher SNR and sufficient image quality compared to 3 T MRI.