MR imaging of the liver: breath-hold T1-weighted MP-GRE compared with conventional T2-weighted SE imaging--lesion detection, localization, and characterization.

Objective: To compare breath-hold T1-weighted magnetization-prepared gradient-echo (MP-GRE) imaging with conventional T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) imaging in evaluation of focal liver disease.

Methods: Images of 68 patients evaluated for focal liver disease were reviewed. Five sets of images were analyzed: axial, sagittal, and coronal breath-hold T1-weighted MP-GRE images, axial T2-weighted SE images, and a compilation of axial, sagittal, and coronal (three-plane) T1-weighted MP-GRE images. Lesion signal intensity (SI) and signal difference-to-noise (SD/N) ratios were calculated.

Results: Lesions were detected, localized, and characterize more accurately (P < .05-.001) and with greater confidence on three-plane T1-weighted MP-GRE images than on almost all single-plane images. Mean SI ratios of nonsolid and solid lesions on MP-GRE and SE images were significantly different at all lesion sizes; mean SD/N ratio was significantly different only for large lesions.

Conclusions: Lesion detection, localization, and characterization can be accurately and confidently performed with three-plane T1-weighted MP-GRE breath-hold imaging, potentially obviating conventional T2-weighted SE imaging.