Free Breathing Simultaneous Multislice Diffusion Weighted Imaging of the Pediatric Abdomen Reduces Scan Time Without Sacrificing Image Quality

Simultaneous Multislice (SMS) techniques can reduce scan time without significant impact on image quality. SMS techniques rely on coil geometry, which can be unfavorable in pediatric patients due to large variations in size. At the same time, pediatric imaging often demands minimizing scan time to increase patient compliance and reduce exposure to sedating medications. We evaluate the use of SMS diffusion weighted imaging applied to pediatric abdominal DWI and show that image quality is similar to standard DWI but with significant reduction in scan time. ADC values are not significantly affected.