Breast MRI Using a Balanced Steady-State Free Precession Imaging with a Two-Point Dixon Fat-Water Reconstruction Algorithm: Preliminary Experience and Comparison with 2D FSE

INTRODUCTION: Balanced steady-state free precession (b-SSFP) techniques yielding high SNR images in short scan times with T2-like image contrast have several appealing attributes for clinical breast MRI [1]. Clinical T2 imaging in the breast is routinely performed using a fat suppressed 2D Fast Spin Echo (FSE) pulse sequence with high in-plane spatial resolution. The 3-5 mm slice thickness obscures fine structures and renders reformatting sub-optimal. Using a new ultrafast 3D technique that combines balanced steady-state free precession imaging with a two-point Dixon fat-water reconstruction algorithm [2], near isotropic sub-millimeter in-plane and through-plane resolutions can be achieved in about a quarter of the time typically needed for 2D FSE. We investigated the performance of a dual echo 3D b-SSFP DIXON sequence in comparison to conventional 2D FSE in 50 patients.