Synthetic MRI in the detection and quantitative evaluation of knee lesions in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Motivation: MRI is an ideal method for the detection of osteonecrosis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but some children struggle to adhere to the procedure due to its lengthy examination time. Goal(s): To investigate whether synthetic MRI, which can reduce the overall scan time, is suitable for examining the knees of pediatric patients with ALL. Approach: Synthetic TIWI, PDWI, and T2 maps were compared with those of conventional MRI in pediatric patients with ALL. Results: Synthetic images demonstrated comparable performance to conventional images in terms of lesion detection and quantitative T2 mapping values. Impact: Synthetic MRI has the capability to expedite knee examinations for children with ALL, while maintaining an equivalent lesion detection rate compared to conventional MRI.