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Technical Article
Comparative study of image quality between synthetic MRI and conventional MRI
ZHENG Zuofeng  ZHANG Dongpo  MAO Lei  GENG Yanjie  LIANG Feng  ZHAO Hongjing  ZHANG Lu 

Cite this article as: Zheng ZF, Zhang DP, Mao L, et al. Comparative study of image quality between synthetic MRI and conventional MRI. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2019, 10(5): 361-365. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2019.05.009.


[Abstract] Objective: Compare the image quality between Synthetic MRI and conventional MRI of the brain by assessment of image contrast, noise level and artifact, and further investigate the differences of diagnostic quality.Materials and Methods: Retrospectively reviewed 30 patients who had synthetic MRI added to conventional MRI scan from Apr to Nov 2018. Images of T1FLAIR, T2WI, T2FLAIR were compared in two different ways: visual grading scale and measurement. Visual imaging quality were rated in 5 scales according to the 4 criteria: gray and white matter interface, margin of the lesion, noise level and artifact. In each patient, 12 regions of interest were placed in the brain image, which included the gray matter, white matter and cerebral spinal fluid. The image contrasts were calculated and compared from the differences of signal intensities measured from 12 different ROIs.Results: Synthetic T1FLAIR, T2WI and T2FLAIR generally had higher signal intensity than conventional MRI (P<0.01). Synthetic T1FLAIR had higher contrast between gray matter, white matter and cerebral spinal fluid than conventional T1FLAIR (P<0.01). Synthetic T2WI had similar contrast between gray matter and white matter with conventional T2WI (P<0.01), and had lower contrast between gray matter and cerebral spinal fluid (P<0.01) as well as white matter and cerebral spinal fluid (P<0.01). Synthetic T2FLAIR had similar contrast between gray matter and white matter, and had higher contrast between gray matter and cerebral spinal fluid (P<0.01) as well as white matter and cerebral spinal fluid (P<0.01). Synthetic MRI had higher level of noise and artifact, especially on T2FLAIR. The conspicuity of white matter focal cerebral ischemia were higher in the Synthetic T1WI and Synthetic T2WI but the interfaces between gray matter and white matter were less clear in Syn MRI.Conclusions: Synthetic MRI has similar or higher image contrast between gray matter and white matter, and has higher lesion conspicuity than conventional MRI. Synthetic MRI image quality is perceived to be inferior, especially in T2FLAIR. Extra conventional T2FLAIR could be added to synthetic MRI in clinical work.
[Keywords] synthetic magnetic resonance imaging;quality control;brain

ZHENG Zuofeng Department of Radiology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, 100022, China

ZHANG Dongpo Department of Radiology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, 100022, China

MAO Lei Department of Radiology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, 100022, China

GENG Yanjie Department of Radiology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, 100022, China

LIANG Feng Department of Radiology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, 100022, China

ZHAO Hongjing Department of Radiology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, 100022, China

ZHANG Lu Department of Radiology, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, 100022, China

*Correspondence to: Zheng ZF, E-mail: zzfradiology@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2018-10-08
Accepted  2019-03-19
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2019.05.009
Cite this article as: Zheng ZF, Zhang DP, Mao L, et al. Comparative study of image quality between synthetic MRI and conventional MRI. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2019, 10(5): 361-365. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2019.05.009.

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