Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the abdomen faces multiple challenges, particularly artifacts induced by respiratory, peristaltic, and cardiovascular-related motions. Effects of cardiovascular pulsation on pancreas DWI have not been previously characterized. This motion introduces artifactual signal voids and unreliable apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values across the pancreas in DWI, regardless of cardiac phases and diffusion directions. Importantly, these artifacts can be addressed by motion-compensated diffusion gradient waveforms. These findings may facilitate the development of reliable and reproducible DWI of the pancreas.
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