High-resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted hepatobiliary MR cholangiography using Gd-EOB-DTPA for assessment of biliary tree anatomy: Parallel imaging versus compressed sensing

Purpose To compare the quality of images obtained by T1-weighted hepatobiliary MR cholangiography using Gd-EOB-DTPA with 1-mm isovoxel acquisition and compressed sensing (T1-MRCCS) or parallel imaging (T1-MRCPI) for assessment of biliary tree anatomy. Method We prospectively reviewed T1-MRCCS, T1-MRCPI, and respiratory-triggered 3D T2-weighted MR cholangiography (T2-MRC) images in 58 patients. Two radiologists independently assessed the three sets of images and scored the biliary tree visualization and overall image quality in all cases using a 5-point Likert scale. The resulting scores were compared among T1-MRCCS, T1-MRCPI, and T2-MRC images using a Friedman test followed by a Scheffe test. The inter-reader agreement in scoring was assessed using κ statistics. Results The image quality scores for the gallbladder on both T1-MRCCS and T1-MRCPI were significantly lower than those on T2-MRC (p Conclusions There may be no significant difference in quality between T1-MRCCS images and T1-MRCPI images for assessment of biliary tree anatomy, and both types of images may be better than T2-MRC images, although clinical indication is limited compared with T2-MRC.