Accelerating Prostate Diffusion-weighted MRI Using a Guided Denoising Convolutional Neural Network: Retrospective Feasibility Study

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of accelerating prostate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) by reducing the number of acquired averages and denoising the resulting image using a proposed guided denoising convolutional neural network (DnCNN). Materials and Methods Raw data from the prostate DWI scans were retrospectively gathered between July 2018 and July 2019 from six single-vendor MRI scanners. There were 103 datasets used for training (median age, 64 years; interquartile range [IQR], 11), 15 for validation (median age, 68 years; IQR, 12), and 37 for testing (median age, 64 years; IQR, 12). High b-value diffusion-weighted (hb DW) data were reconstructed into noisy images using two averages and reference images using all 16 averages. A conventional DnCNN was modified into a guided DnCNN, which uses the low b-value DW image as a guidance input. Quantitative and qualitative reader evaluations were performed on the denoised hb DW images. A cumulative link mixed regression model was used to compare the readers’ scores. The agreement between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps (denoised vs reference) was analyzed using Bland-Altman analysis. Results Compared with the original DnCNN, the guided DnCNN produced denoised hb DW images with higher peak signal-to-noise ratio (32.79 ± 3.64 [standard deviation] vs 33.74 ± 3.64), higher structural similarity index (0.92 ± 0.05 vs 0.93 ± 0.04), and lower normalized mean square error (3.9% ± 10 vs 1.6% ± 1.5) (P < .001 for all). Compared with the reference images, the denoised images received higher image quality scores from the readers (P < .0001). The ADC values based on the denoised hb DW images were in good agreement with the reference ADC values (mean ADC difference ranged from −0.04 to 0.02 × 10-3 mm2/sec). Conclusion Accelerating prostate DWI by reducing the number of acquired averages and denoising the resulting image using the proposed guided DnCNN is technically feasible. Supplemental material is available for this article.