MR Imaging of the Female Pelvis at 3T

The recent development of the transmit-receive body coil and the dedicated torso phased-array radio frequency receive coil for 3.0T MR imaging systems has promoted a move toward higher-field, whole-body MR imaging, including pelvic MR imaging. The female pelvis is an anatomic area that may benefit particularly from the advantages of high-field systems. In this article, the authors present their initial experience with the optimization of sequences for MR imaging of the female pelvis at 3.0T, and include a short description of parallel imaging. They compare some of the physical properties of 1.5T and 3.0T, discuss some of the challenges during sequence optimization for the female pelvis at 3.0T, and give examples of female pelvic abnormalities.