3D diffusion-weighted whole-body MR shows metastatic disease

Developed by radiologist Dr. Taro Takahara and colleagues at Tokai University School of Medicine in Japan, diffusion-weighted whole-body MR imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) paves the way for practical whole-body 3D MR diffusion imaging. A new STIR-EPI sequence, performed with SENSE parallel processing, permits long acquisition times during free breathing to boost contrast resolution and overcome fat saturation problems.

Gray scale was reversed, black for white, producing a rotating 3D maximum intensity projection that resembled volumetric displays now generated with FDG-PET. The mechanism for producing DWI contrast in metastatic disease is not clearly understood but is thought to be associated with large cell sizes and high cellular densities that are common in cancerous tissue. Takahara described the approach at the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine meeting.