Improved T2-Weighted Imaging of the Pelvis using T2-Prepared Single-Slab 3D TSE (SPACE)

John P. Mugler, III¹, Talissa A. Altes¹, Wilhelm Horger², Berthold Kiefer²

An adiabatic T2-contrast preparation was implemented for T2-weighted (T2W) single-slab 3D-TSE (SPACE) imaging of the prostate and uterus, and the resulting contrast properties were compared to those for the standard SPACE method and conventional 2D TSE in five healthy subjects (2 males, 3 females). T2-prepared SPACE provided image contrast that was different than that for either conventional T2W 2D TSE or standard T2W SPACE, and, in particular, yielded improved contrast of structures within the prostate. This observation, coupled with the ability to reconstruct multiple image planes from high-resolution 3D acquisitions, suggests that T2-prepared SPACE warrants evaluation in subjects with disease.