High Contrast MRI of the Prostate Using Divided Reverse Subtracted Inversion Recovery (drSIR) Sequences

Motivation: Divided reverse Subtracted Inversion Recovery (drSIR) has shown potential for brain MRI but has not yet been applied to the prostate. Goal(s): To produce prostate images with high $$$T_1$$$ contrast and highlight the junction between the peripheral and transitional zones by using two IR-TSE images with different inversion times (TIs). Approach: In healthy volunteers, the TIs that suppressed the peripheral and transitional zones as well as the tissue junction were determined, and the corresponding images were subtracted and divided pixelwise. Results: High $$$T_1$$$ contrast between the prostate zones was achieved without contrast agents and subtle $$$T_1$$$ heterogeneities were observed. Impact: High $$$T_1$$$ contrast with obvious distinction between the peripheral and the transitional zones of the prostate was achieved without contrast agents. The approach is likely to show lesions with high contrast and may improve the detection and delineation of tumors.