Phase-sensitive inversion recovery for detecting myocardial infarction using gadolinium-delayed hyperenhancement.
After administration of gadolinium, infarcted myocardium exhibits delayed hyperenhancement and can be imaged using an inversion recovery (IR) sequence. The performance of such a method when using magnitude-reconstructed images is highly sensitive to the inversion recovery time (TI) selected. Using phase-sensitive reconstruction, it is possible to use a nominal value of TI, eliminate several breath-holds otherwise needed to find the precise null time for normal myocardium, and achieve a consistent contrast. Phase-sensitive detection is used to remove the background phase while preserving the sign of the desired magnetization during IR. Experimental results are presented which demonstrate the benefits of both phase-sensitive IR image reconstruction and surface coil intensity normalization for detecting myocardial infarction (MI). The phase-sensitive reconstruction method reduces the variation in apparent infarct size that is observed in the magnitude images as TI is changed. Phase-sensitive detection also has the advantage of decreasing the sensitivity to changes in tissue T(1) with increasing delay from contrast agent injection.
Kellman
Peter
P
Laboratory of Cardiac Energetics, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1061, USA.
Arai
Andrew E
AE
McVeigh
Elliot R
ER
Aletras
Anthony H
AH
D016477:Artifacts; D003287:Contrast Media; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA