Evaluation of accelerated magnetic resonance imaging with simultaneous multi-slice of the head and neck region

Background To investigate the feasibility of the simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) accelerated acquisition technique in 2 dimension-RARE/turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence with special purpose coils in head and neck imaging. Methods Thirty-six healthy volunteers and eight patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were recruited in this prospective study. The MR protocols included 2D-T1/T2-weighted TSE sequences, both with the SMS (T1/T2w-SMS-TSE) technique and without it (T1/T2w-TSE). A pair of special purpose coils was additionally used in sub-group of participants. Subjective image quality scores, quantitative values of images, including signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs), were evaluated. Results The acquisition time was 1:15 min and 1:09 min for T1w and T2w-SMS-TSE, with a respective 39% and 47% reduction compared to conventional sequences. The image quality of all the images were scored equivalent. Although the SMS technique seemed to slightly reduce the SNRs of T1/T2w images and CNRs of T1w images, the additional use of special purpose coils further increased the SNRs and CNRs in most cases. Focal lesions of eight HNSCC patients were finely delineated in all the protocols with similar and good diagnostic value. Conclusions Combining SMS–TSE imaging with special purpose coils is a feasible and effective approach to reduce the total acquisition time, and obtain equivalent image quality and better SNRs and CNRs in most cases, as compared to the conventional T1/T2w-TSE sequence in head and neck imaging.