Evaluation of local look diffusion tensor imaging for magnetic resonance tractography of the periprostatic neurovascular bundle

The purpose of this study was to compare diffusion tensor imaging using the local look technique and sensitivity encoding for tractography of the periprostatic neurovascular bundle. We compared the surrounding tissues of the prostate in eight healthy volunteers. The results of tractography in terms of the numbers of fibers and the fractional anisotropy map were evaluated. Distortion was evaluated using the dice similarity coefficient between isotropic diffusion images created from diffusion tensor images and T2-weighted images. The number of lines in tractography was significantly greater in diffusion tensor imaging using the local look technique (p < 0.001). Although there was no difference in image distortion of the prostate between methods, an artifact appeared in the center of the diffusion tensor image using sensitivity encoding. In conclusion, diffusion tensor imaging using the local look technique was superior to that using sensitivity encoding for tractography of the periprostatic neurovascular bundle.