Noninvasive Monitoring of Liver Disease Regression after Hepatitis C Eradication Using Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced MRI

Table 2

Imaging parameters.

MRI unit	3.0 Tesla, TrioTrim, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany
Coil	Combined six-element phased-array abdominal coil and fixed spine coil
Axial, three-dimensional breath-hold, T1-weighted, gradient-echo sequences (T1-3D GRE), i.e., VIBE	FOV: 350–400 × 350 mm
	FS: SPAIR
	AF: 2
	Sequence duration: 18–21 s
	Section thickness: 1.7 mm; gap: 0 mm
	TR: 2.67 ms; TE: 0.97 ms
	FA: 13°
Contrast medium	i.v. bolus injection of 0.025 mmol/kg body weight of gadoxetic acid at 1 mL/s and 20 mL saline flush
Imaging time points	Unenhanced
	AP (immediately)
	PVP (70 s)
	TP (5 min)
	HBP (20 min)
T1-weighted axial in-phase	TR: 130; TE: 2.46
	FA: 70°
	FOV: 640 × 500
T1-weighted axial opposed-phase	TR: 131; TE: 3.69
	FA: 70°
	FOV: 320 × 250
T2 HASTE	TR: 1600; TE: 100
	FA: 150°
	FOV: 512 × 448
DWI	B 50–600 and ADC map
	TR: 4404, TE: 73
	FA: 90°
	VOF: 384 × 288

Individual adjustment depending on patient size and breath hold capability. FOV: field of view; FS: fat sat; SPAIR: spectral adiabatic inversion-recovery technique; AF: acceleration factor; TR: repetition time; TE: echo time; FA: flip angle (anteroposterior phase direction); GRE: gradient-recalled echo; VIBE: volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination; HBP: hepatobiliary phase; AP: arterial phase; PVP: portal venous phase; TP: transitional phase; HBP: hepatobiliary phase; HASTE: half-fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo; DWI: diffusion-weighted images; ADC: apparent diffusion coefficient.