Multishot targeted PROPELLER magnetic resonance imaging: Description of the technique and initial applications

OBJECTIVES: To test the feasibility of combining inner-volume imaging (IVI) techniques with conventional multishot periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) techniques for targeted-PROPELLER magnetic resonance imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Perpendicular section-selective gradients for spatially selective excitation and refocusing RF pulses were applied to limit the refocused field-of-view (FOV) along the phase-encoding direction for each rectangular blade image. We performed comparison studies in phantoms and normal volunteers by using targeted-PROPELLER methods for a wide range of imaging applications that commonly use turbo-spin-echo (TSE) approaches (brain, abdominal, vessel wall, cardiac). RESULTS: In these initial studies, we demonstrated the feasibility of using targeted-PROPELLER approaches to limit the imaging FOV thereby reducing the number of blades or permitting increased spatial resolution without commensurate increases in scan time. Both phantom and in vivo motion studies demonstrated the potential for more robust regional self-navigated motion correction compared with conventional full FOV PROPELLER methods. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the reduced FOV targeted-PROPELLER technique offers the potential for reducing imaging time, increasing spatial resolution, and targeting specific areas for robust regional motion correction.