Time-Saving 3D MR Imaging Protocols with Millimeter and Submillimeter Isotropic Spatial Resolution for Face and Neck Imaging as Implemented at a Single-Site Major Referral Center

A 92-year-old woman with squamous cell carcinoma. A, T1 SPACE sequence performed in the full-neck MR imaging protocol with 2.7-mm³ (1.4 mm isotropic) voxels during early optimization iterations reformatted into the axial plane clearly shows a cutaneous preauricular lesion (arrow) that is not visible due to volume averaging on the 2D T1-weighted image (B) with 1-mm³ (4 × 0.5× 0.5 mm) voxels. The T1 VIBE Dixon (C) reformatted image in the axial plane shows the associated infiltrating tumor into the parotid gland (arrow) to advantage compared with the 2D T1-weighted image (D) with spectral fat suppression. The case convinced us that the SPACE sequence was a reasonable alternative to the 2D standard-of-care and led us to improve the spatial resolution of the SPACE sequence. These images were obtained contemporaneously on a 3T Magnetom Vida system.

A 27-year-old man with right supraclavicular and chest wall desmoid tumor images on a 1.5T Magnetom Aera system (Siemens). The tumor (arrows) is shown on a general neck protocol, 1.0-mm isotropic sagittal acquisition T1 SPACE axial reformat (A) and T1 VIBE Dixon (B) postcontrast axial reformatted images. Image quality and fat suppression remain good at the level of the thoracic inlet. In addition, T1 SPACE axial reformat (C) and T1 VIBE Dixon (D) postcontrast axial reformat images through the face are provided to show image quality in that region.

A 44-year-old woman with newly diagnosed oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (arrows) shown on oropharynx protocol T1 VIBE Dixon 0.8 × 0.9 × 0.9 mm resolution axial acquisition (A) and coronal reformat images (B) and a corresponding precontrast T1 SPACE axial acquisition (C) and coronal reformat images (D) obtained on a 3T Magnetom Vida system.

An 83-year-old woman with melanoma and a stable untreated nasal cavity mass of unknown pathology with sinus protocol MR imaging. T1 SPACE coronal acquisition (A) performed with 1-mm³ (1.0 mm isotropic) voxels shows a mass (arrow) along the anterior aspect of the right inferior turbinate, seen similarly on the 2D T1-weighted image (B) with 0.8-mm³ (3 × 0.5 × 0.52 mm) voxels. The T1 VIBE Dixon axial reformat (C) shows the mass (arrow) to advantage compared with the 2D T1-weighted image (D) with spectral fat suppression; the former shows the extent of the mass relative to the more heterogeneously enhancing turbinate. The 3D images were acquired on a 3T Magnetom Vida system 6 months following the acquisition of the 2D images on a 3T Magnetom Skyra system (Siemens).