Echo-Planar Imaging Based J-Resolved Spectroscopic Imaging for Improved Metabolite Detection in Prostate Cancer.

摘要

Purpose: (1) To implement an echo-planar imaging (EPI)-based 2D J- resolved spectroscopy on a 3T MRI/MRS scanner; (2) To evaluate the multi-voxel 2D J-resolved echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EP-JRESI) in malignant PCa patients, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients and healthy prostates. (3) To develop and further optimize the ProFit algorithm to postprocess the multi- dimensional MRS data from different prostate pathologies. Scope: A major outcome is expected to be on improved detection (specificity) in differentiating malignant from benign prostate cancer using a novel four- dimensional (4D) EP-JRESI. Improved spectroscopic imaging techniques will enable unambiguous detection of metabolites and the lipids in situ, which could potentially complement the existing diagnostic modalities commonly used in prostate cancer. Progress and Major Findings: After the successful implementation of the 4D EP-JRESI sequence on a 3T MRI scanner during the 1st year, multi-voxel 2D J-resolved spectra have been recorded in 7 more male subjects (6 patients and 1 healthy) using endorectal as well as external MRI coils. The findings are reproducible with that obtained in the 1st year and the EP-JRESI data had excellent quality. Two peer-reviewed manuscripts have been published during the second year.