Deep learning reconstruction-applied PROPELLER diffusion-weighted imaging in uterine malignancies: a comparison study with MUSE
- 1Division of Radiology, Department of Multidisciplinary Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1, Nishi-Cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504 Japan
- 2Department of Clinical Radiology, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago, Japan
Abstract
Purpose: To compare the image quality of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) between deep learning reconstruction (DLR)-applied Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction (PROPELLER) and MUltiplexed Sensitivity Encoding (MUSE) sequences in MRI of uterine malignancies.
Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 66 MRI examinations of 48 patients. The cohort consisted of cases with uterine malignancies (cervical cancer (n = 50), endometrial cancer (n = 15) and endometrial stromal sarcoma (n = 1)) at different clinical settings (initial staging, post-treatment, or recurrence). DWI was performed using both DLR-applied PROPELLER and MUSE sequences using b-values of 0 and 800 s/mm2. Two independent reviewers evaluated overall image quality, artifacts, sharpness, and lesion conspicuity using a 5-point Likert scale. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), apparent signal-to-noise ratio (aSNR), and apparent contrast-to-noise ratio (aCNR) were quantitatively measured in both sequences.
Results: In the qualitative assessment, DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI showed significantly fewer artifacts and better lesion conspicuity than MUSE-DWI. No significant difference was found in overall image quality or sharpness. Inter-reader agreement was slight to moderate, except for strong agreement on DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI lesion conspicuity (κ = 0.696, good). Quantitatively, the mean ADC values were significantly higher with DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI compared to MUSE-DWI for both readers (p < 0.001). Furthermore, both aSNR and aCNR were significantly higher with DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI compared to MUSE-DWI.
Conclusions: DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI demonstrated fewer artifacts and better lesion conspicuity than MUSE-DWI, with higher measured aSNR and aCNR. However, DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI yielded significantly higher mean ADC values.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-026-02048-9.
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BibTeX
@article{gonda2026deep,
title = {{Deep learning reconstruction-applied PROPELLER diffusion-weighted imaging in uterine malignancies: a comparison study with MUSE}},
author = {Takuro Gonda and Ryoya Ochiai and Hiroto Yunaga and Kyohei Okuda and Yudai Ota and Shinya Fujii},
journal = {Japanese Journal of Radiology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1007/s11604-026-02048-9},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-026-02048-9},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Deep learning reconstruction-applied PROPELLER diffusion-weighted imaging in uterine malignancies: a comparison study with MUSE
AU - Takuro Gonda
AU - Ryoya Ochiai
AU - Hiroto Yunaga
AU - Kyohei Okuda
AU - Yudai Ota
AU - Shinya Fujii
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/15
JO - Japanese Journal of Radiology
DO - 10.1007/s11604-026-02048-9
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-026-02048-9
AB - Purpose: To compare the image quality of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) between deep learning reconstruction (DLR)-applied Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction (PROPELLER) and MUltiplexed Sensitivity Encoding (MUSE) sequences in MRI of uterine malignancies. Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 66 MRI examinations of 48 patients. The cohort consisted of cases with uterine malignancies (cervical cancer (n = 50), endometrial cancer (n = 15) and endometrial stromal sarcoma (n = 1)) at different clinical settings (initial staging, post-treatment, or recurrence). DWI was performed using both DLR-applied PROPELLER and MUSE sequences using b-values of 0 and 800 s/mm2. Two independent reviewers evaluated overall image quality, artifacts, sharpness, and lesion conspicuity using a 5-point Likert scale. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), apparent signal-to-noise ratio (aSNR), and apparent contrast-to-noise ratio (aCNR) were quantitatively measured in both sequences. Results: In the qualitative assessment, DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI showed significantly fewer artifacts and better lesion conspicuity than MUSE-DWI. No significant difference was found in overall image quality or sharpness. Inter-reader agreement was slight to moderate, except for strong agreement on DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI lesion conspicuity (κ = 0.696, good). Quantitatively, the mean ADC values were significantly higher with DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI compared to MUSE-DWI for both readers (p < 0.001). Furthermore, both aSNR and aCNR were significantly higher with DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI compared to MUSE-DWI. Conclusions: DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI demonstrated fewer artifacts and better lesion conspicuity than MUSE-DWI, with higher measured aSNR and aCNR. However, DLR-applied PROPELLER-DWI yielded significantly higher mean ADC values. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-026-02048-9.
SN - 1867-1071
SN - 1867-108X
ER -