title: Quantitative cardiac perfusion: a noninvasive spin-labeling method that exploits coronary vessel geometry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitate myocardial arterial perfusion with a noninvasive magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique that exploits the geometry of coronary vessel anatomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  MR imaging was performed with a spin-labeling method in six arrested rabbit hearts at 4.7 T. Selective inversion of magnetization in the short-axis imaging section along with all myocardium apical to that section produces signal enhancement from arterial perfusion. A linescan protocol was used for validation of flow enhancement. Flow was quantitated from two images and validated with spin-echo (SE) imaging. Regional perfusion defects were created by means of coronary artery ligation and delineated with gadolinium-enhanced imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linescan estimates of T1 obtained at physiologic flows agreed with model predictions. Flow-induced signal enhancement measured on SE images also agreed with expected values. Finally, perfusion abnormalities created by means of coronary artery ligation were detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This spin-labeling method provides quantitative estimates of myocardial arterial perfusion in this model and may hold promise for clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Reeder
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: McVeigh
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Zerhouni
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Forder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013113:Spin Labels
chemical_list: D013113:Spin Labels