Evaluation of postcontrast images of intracranial tumors at 7T and 3T MRI: An intra‐individual comparison study

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrahigh‐field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for brain tumors in clinical practice. Methods Thirty patients with brain tumors underwent 7‐ and 3‐T MRI. The performance and diagnostic confidence of 7‐ and 3‐T MRI in the visualization of tumor details such as internal structure and feeding artery were evaluated by radiologists. Contrast‐enhanced region performance and tumor detail diagnostic confidence score (DCS) were calculated and compared between 7 and 3T using Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results In 19 with obvious enhancement and 11 cases without obvious enhancement, 7‐ and 3‐T MRI showed similar performance. The tumors' internal structure and feeding artery were more clearly depicted by 7‐T MRI (62.2% and 54.4%, respectively) than by 3‐T MRI (2.2% and 6.7%, respectively). Furthermore, the mean DCSs of both internal structure and feeding artery were higher at 7T than at 3T (internal structure: 16.29 ± 9.67 vs. −5.79 ± 4.12, p = 0.028; feeding artery: 21.96 ± 6.93 vs. 4.46 ± 7.07, p = 0.028). The DCS was more significantly improved in the senior radiologist group. Conclusion Better visualization of brain tumor details and higher tumor detail diagnostic confidence can be obtained with 7‐T MRI. Better visualization of brain tumors' internal structure (A, B) and tumors feeding artery (C, D) can be obtained at 7T than at 3T.