The Short Breath-Hold Technique, Controlled Aliasing in Parallel Imaging Results in Higher Acceleration, Can Be the First Step to Overcoming a Degraded Hepatic Arterial Phase in Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging

nn hg th g aur in hnique can improve hepatic arterial phase (HAP) image quality in gadoxetic aci enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging compared with a conventional lo breath-hold technique. Materials andMethods: Institutional review board approval and patient conse were obtained for this prospective randomized control study. One hundred nin teen patients undergoing gadoxetic acid–enhanced MR imaging were random assigned to groups A or B. Group A patients underwent an 18-second lon breath-hold MR technique (conventional VIBE [volumetric interpolated breat hold examination] techniquewith GRAPPA [generalized autocalibrating partia parallel acquisition]), and group B patients underwent a 13-second short breat hold MR technique (VIBE technique with CAIPIRINHA [controlled aliasing parallel imaging results in higher acceleration]). Respiratory-related graphs the precontrast and HAP were acquired. The breath-hold degree was grad based on the standard deviation (SD) value of respiratory waveforms. Gadoxe acid–related dyspnea was defined as when the SD value of the HAP was 2 greater than that of the precontrast phase without degraded image quality in t portal and transitional phases (SD value of the HAP − SD value of the precontra phase). The overall image quality andmotion artifacts of the precontrast and HA images were evaluated. The groups were compared using the Student t or Fish exact test, as appropriate. Results: The incidence of breath-holding difficulty (breath-hold grades 3 an 4) during the HAP was 43.6% (27/62) and 36.8% (21/57) for group A and B, r spectively. The SD value during the precontrast phase and the SD value differen between the precontrast and HAP were both significantly higher in group A th in group B (P = 0.047 and P = 0.023, respectively). Gadoxetic acid–related dy pneawas seen in 19.4% (12/62) of group A and 7.0% (4/57) of group B. Group showed better precontrast and HAP image quality than group A (P < 0.001). D graded HAP (overall image quality ≥4) was observed in 9.7% (6/62) and 3.5 (2/57) of group A and B, respectively. Conclusions: The short breath-hold MR technique, CAIPIRINHA, showed be ter HAP image quality with less degraded HAP and a lower incidence of breat hold difficulty and gadoxetic acid–related dyspnea than the conventional lon breath-hold technique.