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Tech Tip – Radial Scanning a Liver – Siemens MR

Aug 1, 2022 | Tech Tips, Siemens

In this tech tip, Nestor shows us his recommended sequence runs and how to run them when scanning a liver on a Siemens MR.

In today’s tech tip, we’re going to talk about radial scanning for MRCP (Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography) of the liver. I’ll walk you through my preferred pre-scan setup and how to acquire radial slices that optimally visualize the biliary tree.

  1. Pre-Scanning Steps
    Basic HASTE Sequence

Start with a multi-slice HASTE sequence in the area where you expect the biliary tree to be. This helps you locate the anatomy before moving on to the radial slices. Have the patient hold their breath during these scans to reduce motion artifacts.

Optional Sagittal Single-Shot HASTE

Next, I like to run a single-slice, sagittal HASTE to determine the angle of the biliary tree.
The biliary tree often angles anteriorly, so a strictly coronal approach may not capture the entire tree in a single plane. Identifying this angle allows you to adjust any subsequent coronal views if needed.

  1. Radial Scanning Setup
    After identifying the target area on your sagittal or coronal planning images:

Position a Single Axial Slice

Center it over the biliary tree (often visible as a small white dot or bright focus on HASTE images).
Create Radial Slices

Select the “Add On” or equivalent function in your software and choose “Create Radial Slices.”
For an axial image, choose Readout mode. Specify the number of slices (e.g., 5 slices) to cover a 360° sweep around the biliary tree.

Breath-Hold Configuration

Navigate to the Physio (or Physiology) tab, then to the HASTE or PACE settings.
Enable Breath-Hold mode. Set the number of concatenations to match the number of slices (e.g., 5 slices = 5 concatenations). This ensures the scanner prompts the patient for separate breath-holds for each radial slice.

Scan Execution

Use the breath-hold button in the scan area.
After each breath-hold and scan, allow the patient to breathe briefly. Repeat for all radial slices.

  1. Reviewing the Radial Images
    Once the scans are complete, you will have a series of slices arranged radially around the biliary tree, providing a full 360° view. Verify that the radial slices capture the ducts properly and that each slice is free from motion artifacts.

For more tech tips like these, visit DirectMedImaging.com and click on the Resources tab. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

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