Abstract
Ultrashort TE (UTE) is a relatively new MRI technique that allows for the visualization of tissue structures with short T2 components that show little or no signal on all conventional MR imaging sequences. This technique, to the best of our knowledge, has been described only in adults and uses a half excitation pulse and radial k-space data acquisition to produce echo times of less than 100 microseconds with no need for additional hardware modifications. We describe the feasibility of using a 2-D UTE sequence in vivo on a routine 1.5 T clinical MR scanner to depict various musculoskeletal structures in children.
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Acknowledgments
We wish to acknowledge Darin R. England, RT, who helped ensure the success of the UTE sequence for clinical scanning. The UTE pulse sequence was made available through a clinical research agreement with GE Healthcare.
Conflicts of interest
Michael Carl, PhD, is an employee of GE Healthcare. Drs. Serai, Laor, Dwek and Zbojniewicz have no conflicts to report.
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Serai, S.D., Laor, T., Dwek, J.R. et al. Feasibility of ultrashort TE (UTE) imaging of children at 1.5 T. Pediatr Radiol 44, 103–108 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-013-2758-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-013-2758-2