Introduction to high field strength magnetic resonance imaging

Jae Hyoung Kim

doi:10.5124/jkma.2010.53.12.1055

J Korean Med Assoc > Volume 53(12); 2010 > Article

Kim: Introduction to high field strength magnetic resonance imaging

Focused Issue of This Month

Clinical Application of High Field Strength Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Journal of the Korean Medical Association

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2010; 53(12): 1055-1058.

Published online: December 07, 2010

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2010.53.12.1055

Introduction to high field strength magnetic resonance imaging

Jae Hyoung Kim, MD

Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Jae Hyoung Kim, jaehkim@snu.ac.kr

Received October 28, 2010 Accepted November 12, 2010

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Recently 3 tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly used in the clinical field. 3T MRI has many advantages, such as a better signal-to-noise ratio, increased chemical shift, and increased susceptibility, whereas it has several disadvantages such as increased relaxation time, radiofrequency field inhomogeneity, and increased specific absorption rate. The awareness of these advantages and disadvantages of 3T MRI will lead to better outcomes in clinical and research applications.

Magnetic resonance imaging; High field strength; 3 tesla; Advantage; Disadvantage

References

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2. Schmitz BL, Aschoff AJ, Hoffmann MH, Grön G. Advantages and pitfalls in 3T MR brain imaging: a pictorial review. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2005;26:2229-2237.

3. Frayne R, Goodyear BG, Dickhoff P, Lauzon ML, Sevick RJ. Magnetic resonance imaging at 3.0 Tesla: challenges and advantages in clinical neurological imaging. Invest Radiol 2003;38:385-402.

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Figure 1

Better signal-to-noise ratio at 3 tesla (T). Fluid attenuated inversion recovery image obtained at 1.5T (A) looks more coarse than the image at 3T (B) in the same patient, reflecting the better signal-to-noise ratio at 3T.

Figure 2

Better spatial resolution at 3 tesla (T). On magnified angiographic images of the right middle cerebral artery at 1.5T (A) and 3T (B) in the same patient, more detailed anatomical resolution is achieved at 3T.

Figure 3

Increased susceptibility at 3 tesla (T). Compared with gradient-echo image obtained at 1.5T (A), the image at 3T (B) of the same patient shows more clearly defined dark dots (microbleeds) in the thalamus, and more conspicuous dark signal intensity (iron deposit) of the basal ganglia, suggesting the increased susceptibility at 3T.

Figure 4

Increased B1 inhomogeneity. Fat-suppressed T2-weighted image of the liver shows a large-sized signal loss (arrows) in the left lobe area due to an artifact caused by the inhomogeneous radiofrequency field.