Comprehensive MRI Examination Protocol for Abdominal Imaging

MRI examinations were performed using a 1.5-T MRI scanner (GE Signa HD, GE Healthcare Systems, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with 8- and 12-channel phased-array torso coil. The applied image sequences with scan parameters were shown as follows: repetition time (TR)/echo time (TE) of 520/14 ms, section thickness of 3 mm, field of view (FOV) of 400 × 280 mm², and matrix of 256 × 256 for the fast-spin-echo-based pre-contrast T1-weighted images with fat suppression; (TR/TE) of 3,500/95 ms, section thickness of 3 mm, FOV of 400 × 280 mm², and matrix of 320 × 256 for the respiratory-triggered fast-spin echo-based T2-weighted images with fat suppression; TR/TE of 4.9/1.0 ms, section thickness of 3 mm, FOV of 380 × 380 mm², and matrix of 320 × 288 for the 2D-fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (2D-FIESTA) in axial and coronal views; TR/TE of 3,600/70 ms, section thickness of 5 mm, FOV of 360 × 360 mm², and matrix of 128 × 128 for the free-breathing single-shot echo-planar diffusion weighted image with a and b values of 0 and 800 s/mm², respectively; and TR/TE of 4.1/1.5 ms, section thickness of 3 mm, FOV of 350 × 280 mm², and matrix of 320 × 256 for the contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images with contrast-enhanced phases including arterial and portal phases. These parameters were applied at 15 s (arterial phase), 60 s (portal phase) after injection of Gadodiamide intravenously (Omniscan, GE; 0.1 mmol/kg body weight) at a rate of 1.5 mL/s by using an autoinjector.