Comparison of phased-array and body coils for MR imaging of liver

Aims and Objectives: To compare liver lesion conspicuity using torso phased-array (TPA) and body coils with two pulse sequences. Methods: Sixty patients with 125 focal hepatic lesions underwent T2-weighted fast spin-echo (T2-FSE) and fast multiplanar inversion recovery (FMPIR) imaging with a standard body coil and with a TPA coil. The first 30 patients were scanned identically in both coils with four acquisitions; the second 30 were scanned with four acquisitions in the body coil and two in the TPA coil. Results: Liver-lesion contrast-to-noise (C/N) was significantly higher for the TPA coil both with four acquisitions (P < 0.001) and with two acquisitions (P < 0.002) using FMPIR, compared to with four acquisitions in the body coil. Liver-lesion CIN for T2-FSE was equivalent in both coils. Liver-lesion CIN was significantly higher (P < 0.01) for FMPIR than T2-FSE both in the body coil and in the TPA coil. Conclusion : Liver-lesion CIN was significantly higher using the TPA coil rather than the body coil, Imaging time can be reduced by decreasing the number of acquisitions with the TPA coil.