3D T2-Weighted Imaging Could Shorten Prostate MRI Protocols

Three-dimensional acquisitions provide equivalent image and lesion delineation quality, compared to 2D in T2-weighted imaging of the prostate, according to a study published in the journal European Radiology.

Researchers from Austria performed a prospective study to determine if 3D acquisitions could provide equivalent image quality, lesion delineation quality and PI-RADS v2 performance compared to 2D acquisitions in T2-weighted imaging of the prostate at 3 T.

One hundred fifty patients (mean age 63.7 years; mean PSA 7.2 ng/ml) participated in the study. Two uroradiologists independently rated image quality and lesion delineation quality using a five-point ordinal scale and assigned a PI-RADS score for 2D and 3D T2-weighted image data sets. Data were compared using visual grading characteristics (VGC) and receiver operating characteristics (ROC)/area under the curve (AUC) analysis.

The results demonstrated equivalent image and delineation quality, and PI-RADS v2 performance, compared to 2D in T2-weighted imaging of the prostate.

Reader 1/Reader 2
Image quality for 2D T2w 
Mean score: 4.3 ± 0.81/Mean score:4.7 ± 0.83

Image quality for 3D T2w
Mean score: 4.3 ± 0.82/Mean score:4.7 ± 0.69

Lesion delineation for 2D T2w 
4.16 ± 0.81/4.19 ± 0.92

Lesion delineation for 3D T2w
4.19 ± 0.94/4.27 ± 0.94

ROC analysis showed an equivalent performance for 2D (AUC 0.580–0.623) and 3D (AUC 0.576–0.629) T2w.

The researchers concluded that three-dimensional T2-weighted imaging could be used to considerably shorten prostate MRI protocols in clinical practice.