Cervical MRI Image Quality Optimization based on Repetition Time (TR) and Echo Train Length (ETL) Settings

Abstract

In the field of radiodiagnostics, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modality is used to help establish a diagnosis, especially by providing more real information about anatomical relationships and pathological abnormalities of the object being examined. This study was conducted at the Brain Clinic in Surabaya with a 3 Tesla MRI device. In addition, T2 weighting of the Fast Spin Echo (FSE) sequence was also used in the sagittal cervical MRI examination, with TR values of 3000 ms, 4000 ms, and ETLs of 16, 20, and 24, respectively. This study used organ signals from the spinal floid, spinal cord, vertebral body, disc intervertebral, and bone edge boundary. Data analysis in this study by determining the ROI value of the object and background to determine the effect of the sequence on the value of SNR, CNR, and time scanning in each organ. In this study, the optimal SNR value for cervical MRI T2-FSE sequences was obtained at TR 4000 ms and ETL 20 variations. Meanwhile, the optimal CNR value in the Spinal Floid-Spinal Cord (SF-SC) and Spinal Floid-Bone Edge Border (SF-BTPT) is at TR 4000 ms and ETL 20, and the CNR in the Vertebral Body-Discuss Intervertebrae (VB-DI) is at TR 4000 ms and ETL 16. Variations in the combination of time repetition (TR) and echo train length (ETL) have different effects. TR variation has a significant effect on SNR and CNR values in certain organs. Meanwhile, variations in ETL values do not have a significant effect on SNR and CNR values.