Abstract #2070

Respiratory-Navigated Free Breathing 3D-SPGR Sequence for Contrast-Enhanced Examination of the Liver: Diagnostic Utility and Comparison with Free Breathing and Breath-Hold Conventional Exams.

Phillip Young¹, Anja Brau², Yuji Iwadate³, Shreyas Vasanawala¹, Bruce Daniel¹, Robert Herfkens¹

¹Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA; ²Applied Science Laboratory West, GE Healthcare, Menlo Park, CA, USA; ³Applied Science Laboratory Japan, GE Healthcare, Tokyo, Japan

We present our initial experience with a respiratory-navigated 3D SPGR sequence with 2-point Dixon water-fat separation for liver imaging in 14 patients. After conventional liver imaging, a respiratory triggered exam was performed and compared to breath-held and free breathing non-navigated images with otherwise identical parameters. While inferior to breath-held images, the navigated images showed a modest but statistically significant improvement over free breathing images. This method may provide an option for imaging patients with limited or no breath holding ability, and further investigation of the use of this sequence in such patients is indicated.