A comparison of fast and conventional T2 weighted spin-echo sequences in the detection of focal liver lesions at 1.0T

Conventional and fast T2-weighted spin-echo scans obtained at 1.0 T were compared in 29 patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging of the liver, 25 of whom had focal liver lesions, Conventional spin-echo (CSE) detected 49 of 50 lesions (98%), fast spin-echo (FSE) 45 of 50 lesions (90%), Qualitative assessment of lesion conspicuity, artefact level, and overall image quality by two radiologists showed conventional spin-echo was preferred to fast spin-echo, Lesion conspicuity was graded moderate or good in 84% of lesions on CSE compared to 73% on FSE, Artefact level was higher on FSE in 34%, equal in 61% and higher on CSE in 5%, Overall, CSE was preferred to FSE in 76% of cases, Mean lesion to liver contrast to noise ratio was significantly higher on conventional spin-echo than fast spin-echo: CSE mean 5.9, FSE mean 4.9 P < 0.05, This difference in contrast to noise ratio remained for malignant lesions, but no significant difference was present for cysts and haemangiomas. We advise careful assessment of new sequences before conventional T2-weighted spin-echo is replaced by fast T2-weighted spin-echo in the detection of focal liver lesions.