High-Resolution Diffusion-Weighted Imaging of the Orbits Using Readout-Segmented EPI

Roland Bammer¹, Kristen W. Yeom¹, Samantha J. Holdsworth¹, Stefan T. Skare¹

Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) of the Orbits bears great diagnostic potential. Its use, however, has been limited due to profound geometric distortions and signal loss related to single-shot EPI. We demonstrate that diffusion-weighted readout-segmented (RS)-EPI with its significant distortion reduction capacity can provide high-resolution DWI and DTI scans that allows one to delineate intra-orbital structures within clinically reasonable scan times. A consecutive series of 35 pediatric patients was enrolled in a comparative evaluation and a 100% superiority of RS-EPI (both in resolution and distortion reduction) over ASSET-enhanced EPI could be demonstrated.