Single-shot T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the heart with black blood: preliminary experience.
OBJECTIVE
To implement and evaluate two robust methods for T1- and T2-weighted snapshot imaging of the heart with data acquisition within a single heart beat and suppression of blood signal.


METHODS
Both T1- and T2-weighted diastolic images of the heart can be obtained with half Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) and turbo fast low-angle shot (turboFLASH) sequences, respectively, in less than 350 ms. Signal from flowing blood in the ventricles and large vessels can be suppressed by a preceding inversion recovery preparing pulse pair (PRESTO). Fifteen volunteers and five patients have been evaluated quantitatively for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and flow void and qualitatively for image quality, artifacts, and black-blood effect.


RESULTS
Both PRESTO-HASTE and PRESTO-turboFLASH achieved consistently good image quality and blood signal suppression. In contrast to gradient-echo (GRE) echo-planar imaging techniques, (EPI) HASTE and turboFLASH are much less sensitive to local susceptibility differences in the thorax, resulting in a more robust imaging technique without the need for time-consuming system tuning. Compared to standard spin-echo sequences with cardiac triggering. HASTE and turboFLASH have significantly shorter image acquisition times and are not vulnerable to respiratory motion artifacts.


CONCLUSIONS
PRESTO-HASTE and PRESTO-turboFLASH constitute suitable methods for fast and high-quality cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Stehling
M K
MK
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich, Germany.
Holzknecht
N G
NG
Laub
G
G
Böhm
D
D
von Smekal
A
A
Reiser
M
M
D001769:Blood; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data