Fast spectroscopic imaging of water and fat resonances to improve the quality of MR images

Rationale and Objectives. The authors evaluated whether fast spectroscopic imaging of water and fat resonances can produce high-quality anatomic magnetic resonance (MR) images of rodent tumors and human breast. Materials and Methods. Fast MR spectroscopy images eight rats with mammary tumors were acquired by using 4.7-T MR unit equipped with self-shielded gradient coils. MR spectroscopic images of four human breasts were acquired with a 1.5-T MR unit. Results. Artifacts due to eddy currents were minimal. Images synthesized from MR spectroscopic data, in which intensity was proportional to water signal peak height, were similar to T2-weighted MR images. Boundaries of rodent mammary tumors are similar but not identical on peak height-weighted and T2-weighted images. MR spectroscopic images of human breast showed improved detail compared to gradient-echo MR images. Conclusion. Preliminary results suggest that incorporation of fast MR spectroscopic imaging methods into many standard clinical MR imaging procedures may substantially improve image quality.