RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Evaluation of Diffusivity in the Anterior Lobe of the Pituitary Gland: 3D Turbo Field Echo with Diffusion-Sensitized Driven-Equilibrium Preparation JF American Journal of Neuroradiology JO Am. J. Neuroradiol. FD American Society of Neuroradiology SP 95 OP 98 DO 10.3174/ajnr.A3620 VO 35 IS 1 A1 Hiwatashi, A. A1 Yoshiura, T. A1 Togao, O. A1 Yamashita, K. A1 Kikuchi, K. A1 Kobayashi, K. A1 Ohga, M. A1 Sonoda, S. A1 Honda, H. A1 Obara, M. YR 2014 UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/35/1/95.abstract AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 3D turbo field echo with diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium preparation is a non–echo-planar technique for DWI, which enables high-resolution DWI without field inhomogeneity–related image distortion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo in evaluating diffusivity in the normal pituitary gland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, validation of diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo was attempted by comparing it with echo-planar DWI. Five healthy volunteers were imaged by using diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo and echo-planar DWI. The imaging voxel size was 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 mm3 for diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo and 1.5 × 1.9 × 3.0 mm3 for echo-planar DWI. ADCs measured by the 2 methods in 15 regions of interests (6 in gray matter and 9 in white matter) were compared by using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The ADC in the pituitary anterior lobe was then measured in 10 volunteers by using diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo, and the results were compared with those in the pons and vermis by using a paired t test. RESULTS: The ADCs from the 2 methods showed a strong correlation (r = 0.79; P < .0001), confirming the accuracy of the ADC measurement with the diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium sequence. The ADCs in the normal pituitary gland were 1.37 ± 0.13 × 10−3 mm2/s, which were significantly higher than those in the pons (1.01 ± 0.24 × 10−3 mm2/s) and the vermis (0.89 ± 0.25 × 10−3 mm2/s, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that diffusion-sensitized driven-equilibrium turbo field echo is feasible in assessing ADC in the pituitary gland. DSDEdiffusion-sensitized driven-equilibriumEPecho-planarTFEturbo field echo