MRI of heart morphology. Comparison of nongradient echo sequences with single- and multislice acquisition.
OBJECTIVE
A large variety of cardiac MRI sequences have been introduced for heart morphology evaluation. The aim of this study was to establish a practicable and robust examination protocol for standard high-field systems applying nongradient echo sequences with single- and multi-slice acquisition.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients received electrocardiogramgated MRI of the heart with "black-blood" preparation, comparing three single-slice and three multislice sequences with a T1-weighted turbo spin echo reference sequence. Demarcation of the left ventricular myocardium and cavity and the extent of flow and motion artifacts were assessed.


RESULTS
The myocardium and left ventricular cavity were depicted best with the single-slice T1- and T2-weighted turbo spin echo sequence. The nonbreath-hold multislice sequences produced marked artifacts and therefore were of poor diagnostic value. The TIRM haste sequence was best suited for fat suppression. The T2-weighted breath-hold single-shot sequence with half-Fourier imaging proved to be most appropriate for multislice imaging.


CONCLUSIONS
Sufficient depiction of heart morphology with comprehensive evaluation of signal changes can be achieved using nongradient spin echo and turbo spin echo sequences with breath-holding. For rational imaging of myocardial and heart chamber morphology, multislice and single-slice sequences should be combined.
Winterer
J T
JT
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.
Lehnhardt
S
S
Schneider
B
B
Neumann
K
K
Allmann
K H
KH
Laubenberger
J
J
Langer
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left