Rapid 3D imaging of the airway by MRI in patients with congenital heart disease: comparison of delayed volume interpolated breath hold examination (VIBE) technique to the turbo spin echo (TSE)

Background When imaging the airway by MRI, the traditional technique turbo spin echo (TSE) results in high quality 2D images of the airway. However, planning and acquisition times are often lengthy. An alternative technique for airway image acquisition, delayed volume interpolated breath hold examination or VIBE, is a 3D gradient echo technique that produces high spatial resolution imaging of the airway in one breath hold. The aim of this study was to compare airway measurements obtained by both TSE and delayed VIBE sequences in order to demonstrate that the quicker delayed VIBE produces a comparable evaluation of the airway to the standard technique.