The Repeatability of ADC and IVIM Metrics in the Liver: A Comparison of Free Breathing, Respiratory Triggered, and Breathhold Techniques

Alexander D. Cohen¹, Moira F. Schieke², Kathleen M. Schmainda²

Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in the body poses problems not seen in the brain. The liver is sensitive to artifacts from breathing-induced motion. As a result, most body images are collected within a single breath hold or are respiratory-gated. In addition, DWI images can be acquired with different diffusion directions. In this study, a comprehensive analysis is performed to determine the optimal imaging parameters for DWI parameter repeatability. It was found that the coefficient of variation (CV) was lower for respiratory-gated compared to free breathing scans for IVIM metrics. ADC metrics were generally more repeatable than IVIM metrics.