[Perfusion MR imaging of the heart with TrueFISP].
OBJECTIVE
Development and test of a saturation-recovery TrueFISP (SR-Trufi) pulse sequence for myocardial perfusion MR imaging (MRI) using improved gradient hardware.


METHODS
Measurements were performed on a 1.5 T scanner with prototype gradients (50 mT/m, minimum rise time 300 microseconds). T1-weighted first-pass MRI of Gd-DTPA (0.025 mumol/kg) kinetics in the myocardium was performed using an SR-Trufi pulse sequence (TR/TE/alpha = 2.6 ms/1.4 ms/55 degrees) with a saturation preparation of TD = 30 ms before the TrueFISP readout. Measurements were performed in volunteers (n = 4) and in a pig model of chronic ischemia (n = 1).


RESULTS
In phantoms, the signal intensity was linear with contrast concentration up to 0.9 mmol/kg Gd-DTPA. MR images obtained with SR-Trufi had a good image quality and high spatial resolution of 2.1 mm x 2.1 mm. Differences of the contrast agent's kinetics between a subendocardial perfusion deficit and neighboring myocardium were well visible on both MR images and signal-time curves derived from the region-of-interest analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
SR-Trufi appears to be an interesting new technique for the assessment of myocardial microcirculation using dedicated cardiovascular MR systems.
Schreiber
W G
WG
Klinik und Poliklinik für Radiologie, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz. wolfgang.schreiber@radiologie.klinik.uni-mainz.de
Schmitt
M
M
Kalden
P
P
Horstick
G
G
Gumbrich
T
T
Petersen
S
S
Mohrs
O
O
Kreitner
K F
KF
Voigtländer
T
T
Thelen
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008833:Microcirculation; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA