DCE-MRI (Dynamic Contrast Enhanced - Magnetic Resonance Imaging) prostate images

Abstract

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) of prostate cancer to facilitate its diagnosis. A 3mm slice fat-suppressed T2W fast spin-echo sequence (TR/TE/ETL: 3400 ms/85 ms/13) is used to acquire images in sagittal and oblique coronal planes, the latter planes being orientated perpendicular or parallel to the prostate PZ – rectal wall axis. Three-dimensional T2W fast spin-echo (TR/TE/ETL: 3600 ms}/143 ms/109, slice thickness: 1.25 mm) images are then acquired in an oblique axial plane.The nominal matrix and FoV of the 3D T2W fast spin-echo images are 320x256 and 280x240 mm2, respectively, thereby affording sub-millimetric pixel resolution within the imaging plane.\nDCE-MRI is performed using a fat suppressed 3D T$_1$ VIBE sequence (TR/TE/Flip angle: 3.25 ms/1.12 ms/10 degrees; Matrix: 256x192; FoV: 280x210 (with 75% rectangular FoV); slab of 16 partitions of 3.5 mm thickness; temporal resolution: 6 s/slab over approximately 5 min). A power injector (Medrad, Indianola, USA) is used to provide a bolus injection of Gd-DTPA (Dotarem, Guerbet, Roissy, France) at a dose of 0.2 ml Gd-DTPA/kg of body weight