Variation in Magnetic Resonance Images with Fat Suppression in a Multi-Institutional Study

This study aimed to evaluate the degree of variation in abdominal gradient-echo three-dimensional（3D）T1- weighted images（T1-WI）with fat suppression（FS）across various magnetic resonance imaging（MRI）systems and institutions using the same phantom. Phantom studies were performed at seven institutions using a 1.5-T MRI machine and at six institutions using a 3.0-T MRI machine. The FS rate（FSR）and coefficients of variation（CV）were calculated to evaluate uniformity of the phantom [liquid beef tallow（LBT）and saline]. The median FSR was 0.89 and 0.82 using the 1.5-T original（for routine abdominal study）and unified（unified to the extent possible）sequences and 0.91 and 0.91 using the 3.0-T original and unified sequences, respectively. The median %CV for LBT data was 10.06% and 7.99% using the 1.5-T original and unified sequences and 18.21% and 27.06% using the 3.0-T original and unified sequences, respectively. The median FSR and %CV in the central and peripheral regions in LBT data using the 1.5-T original sequence and unified sequences displayed significant differences. Conversely, the median %CV in the data using the 3.0-T original and unified sequences displayed no significant differences. The data obtained in the present multi-institutional study suggest variation in MRI data.