Reduced distortion in prostate DWI by using split echo type TSE-DWI (SPLICE) with MultiVane acquisition

To reduce image distortion in prostate DWI, split-echo type TSE-DWI (SPLICE) was combined with MultiVane (current Philips implementation of PROPELLER) acquisition, named MV-SPLICE. To avoid non-CPMG artifacts in SPLICE, the spin echoes and stimulated echoes were separated by the unbalanced readout gradient and acquired in separate MultiVane k-space for separate reconstruction. ADCs and SNRs in transition zone and peripheral zone, and distortion for DWI and T2W images in the anterior-posterior direction of prostate diameter for MV-SPLICE were compared to conventional EPI and MultiVane TSE-DWI (MV-ALSOP). We demonstrated that MV-SPLICE is insensitive to distortion and can provide comparable ADC measurement.