Spiral spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis with spectrally and spatially selective radiofrequency excitation: Comparison with fat-saturated fast spin-echo imaging

Objective: The authors describe their initial clinical experience in comparing a spiral spin-echo technique with a fat-saturated fast spin-echo technique for imaging the pelvis. Methods: A total of 18 patients were imaged with both spiral spin-echo and fat-saturated fast spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging. The spiral spin-echo technique combines a spectrally and spatially selective radiofrequency excitation with a spiral k-space trajectory. This technique permits rapid acquisition of T₂-weighted water- only images. Results: The spiral spin-echo images were judged superior to the fat-saturated fast spin-echo images in terms of uniformity of fat suppression and absence of flow-related artifacts. However, the overall image quality of the spiral spin-echo images was inferior to that of the fat-saturated fast spin-echo images, as a result of blurring caused by off-resonance effects. The two techniques were judged equivalent in terms of conspicuity of the abnormality and diagnostic information. Conclusion: The authors conclude that the spiral spin-echo technique holds promise, particularly if combined with a deblurring algorithm.