Multiband diffusion ‐weighted MRI of the eye and orbit free of geometric distortions using a RARE‐EPI hybrid

This study shows that diffusion‐weighted RARE‐EPI has the capability to acquire high fidelity, distortion‐free images of the eye and the orbit. It is shown that RARE‐EPI maintains the immunity to B0 inhomogeneities reported for RARE imaging. This benefit can be exploited for the assessment of ocular masses and pathological changes of the eye and the orbit. This study shows that diffusion‐weighted rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement‐echo planar imaging (RARE‐EPI) has the capability to acquire distortion‐free images of the eye and orbit with ample diffusion contrast. The results underpin the challenges of ocular imaging at 3.0 T and 7.0 T for EPI and demonstrate that these issues can be offset using accelerated RARE‐based approaches. This benefit can be exploited for the assessment of spatial arrangements of the eye segments and their masses with the goal to provide guidance in the diagnostic assessment and treatment of ophthalmological diseases.
Source: NMR in Biomedicine - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research