Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Improvement in Image Quality and Efficiency of Non-contrast Thoracic MR Angiography: Comparison of a Highly Accelerated Dixon-based Technique with the Conventional Fat-suppressed Technique.","authors":"Jingyi Xing, Satoshi Higuchi, Ryuichi Mori, Yuki Ichinoseki, Yoshiaki Komori, Akihiro Manabe, Daniel Giese, Michaela Schmidt, Hiroki Kamada, Hidenobu Takagi, Kei Takase, Hideki Ota","doi":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0164","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare the image quality and acquisition time of thoracic great vessels using a novel, 3D isotropic non-contrast-enhanced MR angiography that combines respiratory compensation, electrocardiogram-triggering, compressed sensing, and Dixon water-fat separation at 3T (CS-MRA) to a conventional MRA employing parallel imaging and spectral attenuated inversion recovery (cMRA).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included 20 healthy volunteers and 19 patients with thoracic vascular diseases. All scans were performed on a 3T MRI scanner using a T2-prepared 3D fast low angle shot (FLASH) sequence. Visual image quality of thoracic great vessels was assessed using a 4-point scale. Quantitative parameters including SNR, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), contrast ratio (CR), and coefficient of variation (CV) were evaluated. Aortic diameters were measured, and reproducibility was assessed using Bland-Altman analysis and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Image acquisition times were also compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Visual assessment demonstrated significantly higher scores with CS-MRA compared to cMRA across all evaluated thoracic vessels in both volunteers and patients (median score: 3 vs. 2, P < 0.05). Quantitative analysis showed that CS-MRA yielded significantly higher SNR, CNR, and CR (P < 0.05 for all), along with better signal homogeneity (lower CV). CS-MRA showed excellent intra- and inter-observer agreement for aortic diameter measurements, with ICCs ≥ 0.91 in volunteers and ≥ 0.95 in patients. CS-MRA also achieved significantly shorter acquisition times (volunteers: 5.3 ± 1.4 min vs. 6.0 ± 1.7 min, P < 0.01; patients: 5.1 [4.6-6.3] min vs. 6.9 [5.0-9.6] min, P < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CS-MRA provides superior image quality, comparable measurement reproducibility, and significantly reduced acquisition times compared to cMRA. These findings support the clinical utility of CS-MRA as an efficient and reliable non-contrast technique for thoracic vascular evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147793495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Image Quality and Diagnostic Performance of Accelerated T2-weighted Imaging of Prostate with Deep Learning Reconstruction: A Comparative Study.","authors":"Daigo Kobayashi, Yoshiko Ueno, Takahiro Tsuboyama, Shintaro Horii, Naoya Ebisu, Keitaro Sofue, Tomoaki Terakawa, Izumi Imaoka, Takamichi Murakami","doi":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0210","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare accelerated T2-weighted turbo spin-echo imaging with deep learning reconstruction (DLR-TSE) with conventional T2-weighted TSE (conv-TSE) and accelerated TSE without DLR (non-DLR-TSE), and to evaluate image quality and diagnostic performance of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADS v2.1)-based T2 scoring in prostate MRI.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center retrospective study included 60 patients who underwent prostate MRI with all 3 T2-weighted image sets acquired in the same examination. Qualitative image quality was independently assessed by 2 radiologists using 6 parameters on a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative metrics included apparent SNR (aSNR), apparent contrast-to-noise ratio (aCNR), and contrast ratio (CR). Diagnostic performance of PI-RADS T2 scores for transition zone lesions was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Noninferiority of DLR-TSE relative to conv-TSE was tested with predefined margins. Inter-reader agreement was assessed using weighted kappa statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>DLR-TSE demonstrated noninferiority to conv-TSE for all qualitative parameters and quantitative metrics for both readers. Both DLR-TSE and conv-TSE showed significantly higher image quality scores and quantitative values than non-DLR-TSE. For PI-RADS T2 scoring, DLR-TSE achieved diagnostic performance comparable to conv-TSE. For reader 1, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was identical for DLR-TSE and conv-TSE (0.83; 95%CI 0.69-0.95), and significantly higher than for non-DLR-TSE (0.70; 95%CI 0.56-0.83). Specificity and overall accuracy were markedly reduced with non-DLR-TSE for both readers, whereas sensitivity did not differ significantly among methods. Inter-reader agreement was substantial to almost perfect for DLR-TSE and conv-TSE, and lower for non-DLR-TSE. DLR-TSE reduced acquisition time by approximately 60% compared with conv-TSE.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Accelerated T2-weighted imaging with DLR allows substantial reduction in scan time while maintaining image quality, diagnostic performance, and inter-reader agreement comparable to those of conventional T2-weighted imaging. DLR-TSE may serve as a practical option for improving examination efficiency in clinical prostate MRI.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147793464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MR Imaging of Wallenberg Syndrome Using Accelerated 3D-FLAIR with T2 Preparation and Magnetization Transfer Contrast: A Case Report.","authors":"Yusuke Ayabe, Noriko Oyama-Manabe, Nobuyoshi Ohmi, Yoshimasa Ikeda, Yoshimasa Koyama","doi":"10.2463/mrms.ici.2025-0175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2463/mrms.ici.2025-0175","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We report a case of Wallenberg syndrome associated with vertebral artery occlusion and suspected atherosclerotic changes. The patient was evaluated using accelerated 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI incorporating T2 preparation and magnetization transfer contrast pulses. This technique enabled a shortened acquisition time while preserving high image contrast, allowing clear visualization of the lateral medullary infarction. This approach provides a non-contrast, high-resolution method for assessing brainstem infarcts and may contribute to improved diagnostic accuracy in the acute setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147625316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comment on \"Diagnostic Potential of Macromolecular Proton Fraction Mapping Combined with Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping as a Subcortical Biomarker for Parkinson's Disease\" by Fujiwara et al.","authors":"Rohma Zubairi","doi":"10.2463/mrms.lte.2025-0176","DOIUrl":"10.2463/mrms.lte.2025-0176","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146121500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Blood Flow Energy Loss before and after Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Using Four-dimensional Flow MR Imaging.","authors":"Shimpei Ikeda, Takahiko Mine, Tetsuro Sekine, Masashi Abe, Hirotaka Ito, Ko Okada, Seigoh Happoh, So Ueshima, Takahiro Tomoda, Masahiro Fujii, Hiromitsu Hayashi, Shin-Ichiro Kumita","doi":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate hemodynamic changes associated with aortic stiffness after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm using 4-dimensional flow MRI (4D Flow MRI), with a focus on blood flow energy loss (EL).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty-five patients underwent 4D Flow MRI before and after EVAR. Flow velocity, volume, and reflux ratio were measured at the juxtarenal aorta, aneurysmal orifice, and distal iliac landing zone. EL was assessed at the neck and treatment segments, and its relationship with pulse wave velocity (PWV) was analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Post-EVAR velocity and volume increased across all segments, whereas reflux ratio decreased at the aneurysmal orifice. EL significantly increased at the neck (6.3 [4.0-9.7] vs 16.7 [5.4-29.9] mW, P < 0.001) and treatment segments (29.0 [21.8-45.2] vs 265.6 [182.7-443.6] mW, P < 0.001). Patients with increased PWV showed a greater EL rise at the neck (6.8 [4.2-11.5] vs 16.9 [7.9-30.4] mW, P = 0.001). When stratified by pre-EVAR brachial-ankle PWV, the high-risk group (≥ 1800 cm/s) had a higher post-/pre-EL ratio (6.7 [4.0-10.6] vs 10.4 [7.0-15.8], P = 0.018).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>EVAR induces specific hemodynamic alterations. The post-operative rise in flow velocity, volume, and EL indicates increased aortic stiffness, suggesting elevated cardiac afterload in patients with advanced arterial stiffness.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147577464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Fast and Precise Method to Search for Desirable Rectangular Tumor Regions in Brain MR Images.","authors":"Hidenori Takeshima, Shuki Maruyama","doi":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0156","DOIUrl":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To develop a fast and precise method for searching rectangular regions in brain tumor images.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The authors propose a new method for searching rectangular tumor regions in brain MR images. The proposed method consisted of a segmentation network and a fast search method with a user-controllable search metric. As the segmentation network, the U-Net whose encoder was replaced by the EfficientNet was used. In the fast search method, summed-area tables were used for accelerating sums of voxels in rectangular regions. Use of the summed-area tables enabled exhaustive search of the 3D offset (3D full search). The search metric was designed for giving priority to nearly isotropic rectangles over undesirable thin rectangles, and assigning better values for higher tumor fractions even if they exceeded target tumor fractions. The proposed computation and metric were compared with those used in a conventional method using the Brain Tumor Image Segmentation dataset.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>When the 3D full search was used, the proposed computation (8 seconds) was 100-500 times faster than the conventional computation (11-40 minutes). When the user-controllable parts of the search metrics were changed variously, the tumor fractions of the proposed metric were higher than those of the conventional metric. In addition, the conventional metric preferred undesirable thin rectangles whereas the proposed metric preferred nearly isotropic rectangles.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The proposed method is promising for implementing fast and precise search of rectangular tumor regions, which is useful for brain tumor diagnosis using MRI systems. The proposed computation reduced processing times of the 3D full search, and the proposed metric improved the quality of the assigned rectangular tumor regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145919486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"White Matter Microstructural Alterations Mediate the Association between Polygenic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Performance in Clinically Asymptomatic Adults.","authors":"Rui Zou, Kaito Takabayashi, Christina Andica, Wataru Uchida, Takafumi Kitagawa, Koyo Mizuta, Akifumi Hagiwara, Junko Kikuta, Shigeki Aoki, Koji Kamagata","doi":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0182","DOIUrl":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder influenced by genetic factors, with a long preclinical phase characterized by subtle alterations in brain microstructure. Although the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele is a well-established genetic risk factor, AD is increasingly recognized as a polygenic condition. However, how polygenic risk manifests in white matter (WM) microstructure and cognition remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the associations between AD polygenic risk scores (ADPRS), WM microstructure, and cognitive performance in clinically asymptomatic adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from 36400 individuals (aged 45-83 years) in the UK Biobank were analyzed. Diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging metrics were extracted from 48 WM tracts. General linear models were used to examine associations between ADPRS, WM integrity, and 10 cognitive measures. Mediation analyses were conducted to test whether WM microstructure mediated the relationship between ADPRS and cognitive performance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher ADPRS was significantly associated with reduced fractional anisotropy and intracellular volume fraction, and with increased mean, axial, and radial diffusivity, as well as isotropic volume fraction across limbic and association fibers, particularly in the cingulum hippocampus, fornix, posterior thalamic radiation, and superior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Higher ADPRS was also associated with poorer cognitive performance, most prominently on tests of executive function (Trail Making Test B), episodic memory (Paired Associate Learning), and processing speed (Symbol Digit Substitution). Mediation analysis revealed that WM microstructural alterations, especially increased radial diffusivity and reduced fractional anisotropy in the posterior thalamic radiation, partially mediated the association between ADPRS and cognitive performance, accounting for up to 4.88% of the total effect.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>ADPRS is linked to selective WM microstructural alterations and subtle cognitive difference in clinically asymptomatic adults. WM microstructural changes partially mediate the association between ADPRS and cognitive performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146145352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diagnostic Accuracy of Artificial Intelligence for Predicting MGMT Promoter Methylation in Glioblastoma Using MR Imaging: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Hamza M N Khoursheed, Hamzeh O Qudah, Omar Hossain, Fadi W AlZraikat, Irfan Ullah, Muna T Al-Husban","doi":"10.2463/mrms.rev.2025-0115","DOIUrl":"10.2463/mrms.rev.2025-0115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with poor prognosis. O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation is a critical biomarker for guiding chemotherapy decisions, yet current testing requires invasive tissue sampling. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI) models using MRI for non-invasive prediction of MGMT promoter methylation status in GBM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Web of Science and EMBASE, identifying 480 records. After duplicate removal and screening, 14 studies met inclusion criteria. Data extracted included AI model architecture, MRI sequences, segmentation methods, and diagnostic metrics. A bivariate random-effects model was used to pool sensitivity and specificity. Meta-regression analyses assessed the effect of AI model type on diagnostic performance. Study quality was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The bivariate random-effects model yielded a pooled sensitivity of 0.536 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.509-0.563) and a pooled specificity of 0.514 (95% CI: 0.454-0.574), indicating moderate between-study heterogeneity, with an area under the curve of 0.56. The best-performing models included MGMT-net and transformer-based architectures, particularly when using multimodal MRI inputs. Studies employing automated segmentation and single-sequence input (e.g., T2-weighted only) generally demonstrated lower performance. QUADAS-2 assessment indicated a low risk of bias in most domains, with concerns regarding index test thresholds and external validation in some studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>AI-based MRI models show moderate-to-high potential for non-invasive MGMT methylation prediction in GBM. However, heterogeneity in study design, imaging protocols, and validation approaches highlights the need for standardized methodologies and robust external validation before clinical adoption.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147278108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prostate Diffusion-weighted Imaging: Selecting the Optimal Repetition Time Using Synthetic Imaging Techniques.","authors":"Atsushi Higaki, Tsutomu Tamada, Mitsuru Takeuchi, Yu Ueda, Yuichi Kojima, Takuma Maruhisa, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Kazunori Moriya, Yoshihiko Fukukura, Akira Yamamoto","doi":"10.2463/mrms.tn.2025-0101","DOIUrl":"10.2463/mrms.tn.2025-0101","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The optimal TR for prostate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) remains unclear. Given prostate cancers' shorter T1/T2 relaxation times versus benign tissues, TR adjustment may improve contrast. We evaluated 56 clinically significant cancers in 33 patients, comparing synthetic DWI (b-value = 2000 s/mm²) at TR500/1000/1500/2000 ms against conventional TR6000 ms. Assessments included contrast ratio, apparent SNR, lesion conspicuity score, DWI scores based on Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) v2.1, and background suppression. TR6000 showed significantly lower contrast ratio but higher apparent SNR compared with shorter TRs. TR1000-2000 showed higher lesion conspicuity score than TR500, while TR1500-6000 had higher DWI scores than TR500. TR500-1500 provided better background suppression than TR2000/6000. For optimal balance of contrast and noise, TR1000 or TR1500 is recommended for prostate DWI, potentially enhancing prostate cancer detection in clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145985757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Free-breathing Three-dimensional MR Cholangiopancreatography Using Centric k-space Encoding Improved Gallbladder Visualization: A Prospective Study.","authors":"Junya Tsuzaki, Taiki Nozaki, Daiki Ito, Tetsushi Habe, Sayaka Miyazaki, Manabu Arai, Manabu Hase, Hiroki Sakata, Ryo Tsukada, Yoshitake Yamada, Masahiro Jinzaki","doi":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0149","DOIUrl":"10.2463/mrms.mp.2025-0149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) often suffers from signal loss because of concentrated bile. Gradient-and-spin-echo (GRASE) MRCP reduces this effect but is limited by breath-holding. We developed MRCP with centric order encoding (MRCP-CORE), a novel free-breathing sequence with shorter TE using centric k-space trajectory, T2 preparation, and velocity encoding, and evaluated its ability to visualize gallbladder.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this prospective, single-center study, we enrolled 100 consecutive patients who underwent 3 MRCP sequences (MRCP-CORE, conventional MRCP, and GRASE MRCP) on a 3T system. Two blinded radiologists independently assessed the visibility of anatomical structures, artifacts, and overall image quality. SNR, contrast-to-noise ratio, and contrast ratio of the periductal tissue and gallbladder were measured. The Friedman test was used for comparisons; Jonckheere-Terpstra analysis tested the association between the gallbladder visibility and quantitative metrics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ninety-nine patients (mean age, 68.5 ± 10.9 years; 52 men, 47 women) were evaluated. MRCP-CORE showed significantly higher SNR than conventional and GRASE MRCP (20.9 vs. 17.3 vs. 15.8; P < 0.001). Gallbladder visibility was significantly higher with MRCP-CORE than via conventional MRCP (P = 0.02) and comparable to that via GRASE MRCP (P = 1.00). No significant differences in artifact and overall image quality were observed among sequences. Trend analysis revealed gallbladder visibility was significantly influenced by bile concentration in conventional MRCP (P < 0.001), but not in MRCP-CORE (P = 0.12) or GRASE MRCP (P = 0.43).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>MRCP-CORE enhanced gallbladder depiction compared with conventional MRCP, offering a robust free-breathing alternative to breath-hold GRASE MRCP.</p>","PeriodicalId":94126,"journal":{"name":"Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146145295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}