Optimized deep learning-accelerated single-breath-hold abdominal HASTE with and without fat saturation improves and accelerates abdominal imaging at 3 Tesla.

Background: Deep learning-accelerated single-shot turbo-spin-echo techniques (DL-HASTE) enable single-breath-hold T2-weighted abdominal imaging. However, studies evaluating the image quality of DL-HASTE with and without fat saturation (FS) remain limited. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the technical feasibility and image quality of abdominal DL-HASTE with and without FS at 3 Tesla.

Materials and methods: DL-HASTE of the upper abdomen was acquired with variable sequence parameters regarding FS, flip angle (FA) and field of view (FOV) in 10 healthy volunteers and 50 patients. DL-HASTE sequences were compared to clinical sequences (HASTE, HASTE-FS and T2-TSE-FS BLADE). Two radiologists independently assessed the sequences regarding scores of overall image quality, delineation of abdominal organs, artifacts and fat saturation using a Likert scale (range: 1-5).

Results: Breath-hold time of DL-HASTE and DL-HASTE-FS was 21 ± 2 s with fixed FA and 20 ± 2 s with variable FA (p < 0.001), with no overall image quality difference (p > 0.05). DL-HASTE required a 10% larger FOV than DL-HASTE-FS to avoid aliasing artifacts from subcutaneous fat. Both DL-HASTE and DL-HASTE-FS had significantly higher overall image quality scores than standard HASTE acquisitions (DL-HASTE vs. HASTE: 4.8 ± 0.40 vs. 4.1 ± 0.50; DL-HASTE-FS vs. HASTE-FS: 4.6 ± 0.50 vs. 3.6 ± 0.60; p < 0.001). Compared to the T2-TSE-FS BLADE, DL-HASTE-FS provided higher overall image quality (4.6 ± 0.50 vs. 4.3 ± 0.63, p = 0.011). DL-HASTE achieved significant higher image quality (p = 0.006) and higher sharpness score of organs compared to DL-HASTE-FS (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Deep learning-accelerated HASTE with and without fat saturation were both feasible at 3 Tesla and showed improved image quality compared to conventional sequences.

Trial registration: Not applicable.