Standardizing Ultrafast Dynamic Contrast-enhanced MR Imaging - Considerations for Spatial Resolution and Imaging Techniques - Letter to the Editor

Sep 29, 2026

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Letter to the editor discussing the need for standardization in ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced (UF-DCE) breast MRI, focusing on spatial resolution and imaging techniques. The author comments on prior multi-institution evaluation of TWIST-VIBE versus compressed sensing CS-VIBE and argues for incorporating conventional Fourier sampling with high SENSE acceleration as a comparable UF-DCE approach. Key considerations include lesion morphology feasibility, TIC analysis in the initial phase, artifacts, and suitability across small lesions and non-mass enhancement types.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages2

Reading Time5 min

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Letter to the Editor

Background and context

Imaging protocols and resolution trade-offs

Lesion assessment and non-mass enhancement considerations

Future standardization directions

Conflicts of interest

Magn Reson Med Sci 2025 ; 24: 2025-0026 doi:10.2463/mrms.lte.2025-0026 Published Online: May 20, 2025 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Standardizing Ultrafast Dynamic Contrast-enhanced MR Imaging: Considerations for Spatial Resolution and Imaging Techniques Naoko Mori1* Keywords: fast imaging techniques, standardization, ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging To the Editor, We read with interest the article by Dr. Honda et al. ,“Institutional Variability in Ultrafast Breast MR Imaging: Comparing Compressed Sensing and View Sharing Techniques with Different Patient Populations and Contrast Injection Protocols”.1 They evaluated image quality and diagnostic performance of ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced (UF-DCE) breast MRI using time-resolved angiography with stochastic trajectories (TWIST)–volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) and compressed sensing (CS)–VIBE sequences at 2 institutions. We greatly appreciate their insightful study and highly commend their valuable contributions. We would like to discuss the necessity of incorporating conventional Fourier sampling with a high SENSE acceleration factor as one of the UF-DCE MRI techniques, as well as the importance of comparing these imaging techniques across various lesion types and spatial resolutions. In the study by Dr. Honda et al., the spatial and temporal resolution of UF-DCE MRI was 0.7 × 0.7 × 2.5 mm and 8.5s for TWIST-VIBE, and 0 .9 × 0 .9 × 2 .5 mm and 3 .7s for CSVIBE. They demonstrated that CS-VIBE was significantly superior to TWIST-VIBE in terms of morphological assessment feasibility. We use a UF-DCE MRI protocol with conventional Fourier sampling and high SENSE acceleration (voxel size: 1.09 × 1.66 × 4.0 mm, temporal resolution: 3s) without TWIST or CS.2 This clinically feasible protocol of UF-DCE MRI has a moderate spatial resolution; however, we 1Department of Radiology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Akita, Japan *Corresponding author: Department of Radiology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita, Akita 010-8543, Japan. Phone: +81- 18-884-6179, Fax: +81-18-836-2623, E-mail: [naokomori7127@gmail.com](naokomori7127@gmail.com) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. ©2025 Japanese Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Received: February 10, 2025 | Accepted: March 18, 2025 prioritize detecting the signal changes for time-intensity curve (TIC) analysis in the initial phase.3 The morphological assessment is performed using high-resolution standard DCE-MRI acquired at 2 min after contrast injection. Despite its moderate spatial resolution, we previously demonstrated that UF-DCEMRI acquired with this protocol could accurately delineate the extent of the pathological extent of residual invasive carcinoma.4 Spatial resolution influences both the morphological assessment of lesions and the feasibility of lesion extent measurement. It might be considered whether the role of UFDCE MRI is solely to obtain TIC in the initial phase or if it should also be utilized for morphological assessment and lesion extent measurement. TWIST-VIBE provides excellent images and obtains the early enhancement dynamics of lesions. However, due to the lower sampling rate in the peripheral k-space regions, interpreting enhancement kinetics in small structures with high spatial frequency components can be challenging. On the other hand, CS-VIBE is susceptible to artifacts, particularly when enhancement patterns change rapidly.3 Dr. Honda et al. reported a mean lesion size of 21 mm in their study, including 6 cases (17%) of non-mass enhancement (NME) . We have shown that the TIC of conventional Fourier sampling with a high SENSE acceleration factor enables accurate differentiation between benign and malignant NMEs, even with moderate spatial resolution.5 Future studies should evaluate whether TWIST-VIBE,

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this letter?

To discuss considerations for standardizing UF-DCE MRI, emphasizing spatial resolution and imaging technique choices.

Which imaging approaches are compared or discussed in relation to standardization?

TWIST-VIBE, CS-VIBE, and a clinically feasible protocol using conventional Fourier sampling with high SENSE acceleration are discussed for UF-DCE MRI.

Why might spatial resolution matter for UF-DCE breast MRI?

Spatial resolution affects both morphological lesion assessment and the feasibility of measuring lesion extent, while also influencing how enhancement kinetics are interpreted.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa