MRI Exam-Specific Parameters: Body Module (Revised 9/11/2020)

Katie Albus

Modified on: Fri, 13 Jan, 2023 at 3:47 PM

Revision History

In addition to the exam-specific instructions in the following tables, review the following information prior to examination selection and submission. Failure to follow the guidance below may result in failure of the submitted examination.

Failure to meet anatomic coverage and imaging plane specifications may result in a fail of the submitted examination.

Female Pelvis such as for Uterine or Adnexal Disease
This examination is a high-resolution female pelvis protocol. Single shot techniques (HASTE, SSFSE, SSTSE and steady state free precession such as FIESTA, TRUE FISP, BFFE) are not acceptable substitutions for the female pelvis high resolution sequence. The exam must include a uterus.
Required Sequences	Category A: Pulse Sequence and Image Contrast	Category B: Anatomic Coverage and Imaging Planes	Category C: Spatial Resolution
Sagittal high resolution bright fluid	The uterine corpus zonal anatomy must be clearly defined The uterine cervix zonal anatomy must be clearly defined	Must cover the uterus, cervix, adnexa and pelvic sidewalls	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 1.0 mm²
Axial or oblique axial high resolution bright fluid	The uterine corpus zonal anatomy must be clearly defined The uterine cervix zonal anatomy must be clearly defined	Must cover from iliac crests to vaginal introitus Must cover pelvic sidewalls	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 1.0 mm²
Axial whole pelvis dark fluid	Fat must be hyperintense	Must cover entire bony pelvis	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm²
Sagittal or axial dark fluid with fat suppression	Fat must be hypointense All scan parameters must be identical to the post contrast	Sagittal must cover the uterus, cervix, adnexa and pelvic sidewalls Axial must cover entire bony pelvis	If sagittal: Slice thickness ≤ 4.0 mm Gap ≤ 0.0 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm² If axial: Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm²
Sagittal or axial dark fluid with fat suppression post contrast	Fat must be hypointense All scan parameters must be identical to the pre-contrast Must show sufficient uterine enhancement	Sagittal must cover the uterus, cervix, adnexa and pelvic sidewalls Axial must cover entire bony pelvis	If sagittal: Slice thickness ≤ 4.0 mm Gap ≤ 0.0 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm² If axial: Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm²

Pediatric Pelvis such as for Tumor Diagnosis or Follow-Up
Required Sequences	Category A: Pulse Sequence and Image Contrast	Category B: Anatomic Coverage and Imaging Planes	Category C: Spatial Resolution
Sagittal high resolution bright fluid	The bladder, rectum and adjacent reproductive organs (if reproductive organs present) should be clearly defined Must include soft tissues of the pelvis and bone marrow of the spine	Must cover the pelvic sidewalls	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 1.0 mm²
Axial high resolution bright fluid	Must have good discrimination of bladder from rectum and adjacent reproductive organs (if reproductive organs present) Must have good definition of the surrounding soft tissues and bone marrow	Must cover entire bony pelvis and surrounding soft tissues and musculature and extend through perineum	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 1.0 mm²
Axial whole pelvis dark fluid	Fat must be hyperintense	Must cover entire bony pelvis and surrounding soft tissues and musculature and extend through perineum	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm²
Sagittal or axial dark fluid with fat suppression	Fat must be hypointense All scan parameters must be identical to the post contrast	Sagittal must cover the pelvic sidewalls Must cover entire bony pelvis and surrounding soft tissues and musculature and extend through perineum	If sagittal: Slice thickness ≤ 4 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm² If axial: Slice thickness ≤ 5 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm²
Sagittal or axial dark fluid with fat suppression post contrast	Fat must be hypointense All scan parameters must be identical to the pre-contrast	Sagittal must cover the pelvic sidewalls Must cover entire bony pelvis and surrounding soft tissues and musculature and extend through perineum	If sagittal: Slice thickness ≤ 4 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm² If axial: Slice thickness ≤ 5 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm²

Hepatobiliary to Include MRCP
Required Sequences	Category A: Pulse Sequence and Image Contrast	Category B: Anatomic Coverage and Imaging Planes	Category C: Spatial Resolution
In phase/out of phase dark fluid	Must have adequate hepatic/ splenic contrast Must display appropriate signal loss on opposed-phase images Must have good definition of surrounding soft tissues Must be obtained prior to contrast administration	Must cover the entire liver	Slice thickness ≤ 7.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 7.2 mm²
Axial or coronal long TR bright fluid with or without fat suppression	Must have good discrimination of liver from biliary tree Must have good definition of surrounding soft tissues Steady State Free Precession sequences, such as FIESTA and true FISP are not adequate substitutions for TSE, FSE or IR sequences at this time and are not acceptable for this sequence	Must cover the entire liver	Slice thickness ≤ 7.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 3.75 mm²
MRCP 3D or 2D	You may submit a 3D or 2D sequence for MRCP One reformatted MIP image is required for 3D gated MRCP Must have good fluid discrimination	Must cover the central biliary tree including the second order branches Must cover the entire pancreas Bile ducts and pancreatic ducts must be well defined	3D: Slice thickness ≤ 2.0 mm Voxel volume ≤ 5.2 mm³ 2D Thick Slab: Slice thickness > 40 mm, < 60 mm Gap 0.0 mm Pixel area ≤ 1.0 mm²
Axial 3D dark fluid dynamic with fat suppression post contrast (The testing package will calculate spatial resolution as voxel volume, but your images must meet the pixel area requirements listed)	Must have good definition of surrounding soft tissues Must have at least four phases: Pre-contrast Parenchymal arterial Portal venous Equilibrium or delayed	Must cover the entire liver	Slice thickness ≤ 6.0 mm Gap = 0 mm Pixel area ≤ 4.5 mm²

Pediatric Abdomen with Dynamic Liver Assessment
Required Sequences	Category A: Pulse Sequence and Image Contrast	Category B: Anatomic Coverage and Imaging Planes	Category C: Spatial Resolution
In phase/out of phase dark fluid	Must have adequate hepatic/ splenic contrast Must display appropriate signal loss on opposed-phase images Must have good definition of surrounding soft tissues	Must cover the entire liver	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 7.2 mm²
Axial or coronal long TR bright fluid with or without fat suppression	Must have good discrimination of liver from biliary tree Must have good definition of surrounding soft tissues	Must cover the entire liver	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 3.75 mm²
Axial 3D dark fluid dynamic with fat suppression post contrast	Must have good definition of surrounding soft tissues Must have at least four phases: Pre-contrast Parenchymal arterial Portal venous Equilibrium or delayed **Either extracellular gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) or combined extracellular-hepatobiliary GBCA (Gadoxetate disodium-EOVIST ™) are acceptable	Must cover the entire liver	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap = 0 mm Pixel area ≤ 4.5 mm²

Renal
Required Sequences	Category A: Pulse Sequence and Image Contrast	Category B: Anatomic Coverage and Imaging Planes	Category C: Spatial Resolution
Axial or coronal bright fluid with fat suppression	Must have good discrimination between the kidney and the collecting system Steady State Free Precession sequences, such as FIESTA and true FISP are not adequate substitutions for TSE, FSE or IR sequences at this time, and are not acceptable for this sequence	Axial must cover both adrenal glands and kidneys entirely Coronal must cover both kidneys anterior to posterior	Slice thickness ≤ 7.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 3.75 mm²
Axial in-phase/ opposed phase dark fluid	Must have good corticomedullary discrimination Must have good definition of surrounding tissues	Must cover both adrenal glands and kidneys entirely	Slice thickness ≤ 7.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 7.2 mm²
Dynamic axial or coronal dark fluid with fat suppression post contrast	Must have sufficient IV contrast enhancement of the renal parenchyma over time Must include a pre-contrast phase	Axial must cover both adrenal glands and kidneys entirely Coronal must cover both kidneys anterior to posterior	Slice thickness ≤ 5.0 mm Gap ≤ 1.5 mm Pixel area ≤ 2.4 mm²

Revision History for this Article
Date	Section	Description of Revision(s)
12-12-19	All	Article created; FAQs incorporated; No criteria changes
12-16-19	Hepatobiliary to include MRCP	Axial or coronal long TR bright fluid with or without fat suppression: Corrected slice thickness from </= 1.0 mm to </= 7.0 mm.
12-16-19	Body Module General Instructions	Removed the following bullet: Single shot techniques (HASTE, SSFSE, SSTSE and steady state free precession such as FIESTA, TRUE FISP, BFFE) are not acceptable subsitutions in ANY of the body module exams
12-19-19	Hepatobiliary to include MRCP	In phase/out of phase dark fluid: Corrected pixel area to ≤ 7.2 mm²
1-21-2020	Hepatobiliary to include MRCP	Axial or coronal long TR bright fluid with or without fat suppression in category A: Pulse Sequence and Image Contrast please added the bullet: Steady State Free Precession sequences, such as FIESTA and true FISP are not adequate substitutions for TSE, FSE or IR sequences at this time, and are not acceptable for this sequence.
1-21-2020	Renal	Axial or coronal long TR bright fluid with fat suppression in category A: Pulse Sequence and Image Contrast please add the bullet: Steady State Free Precession sequences, such as FIESTA and true FISP are not adequate substitutions for TSE, FSE or IR sequences at this time, and are not acceptable for this sequence.
8-6-2020	Pediatric Abdomen with Dynamic Liver Assessment	Correct the Gap requirement for the axial or coronal long TR bright fluid with or without fat suppression
9-11-2020	Renal	Corrected Type

Previous: Exam-Specific Parameters: MSK

Next: Exam-Specific Parameters: MRA