title: T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging sequence appropriate for the evaluation of the longitudinal relaxation effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide: a phantom study.
abstract: The goal of this study was to determine a T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence appropriate for evaluating the longitudinal relaxation effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide (ferumoxides) in a phantom study. An agarose phantom that included various concentrations of ferumoxides (0 - 0.5 mmol/l in 0.05 mmol/l increments) was examined for six types of T1-weighted imaging sequences using a 1.5-T MR unit. Three-dimensional (3D) fast spoiled gradient-echo (SPGR) imaging with a short echo time showed a strong linear correlation between the concentration of ferumoxides and the enhancement ratio. Two-dimensional (2D) fast SPGR imaging showed a high signal-to-noise ratio of the phantom even at low ferumoxides concentrations. These results suggest that 3D fast SPGR imaging is an appropriate technique for the evaluation of the longitudinal relaxation effect of ferumoxides, and that 2D fast SPGR imaging can be useful for evaluating the longitudinal relaxation effect at lower ferumoxides concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. takahama@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahama
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumazaki
mesh_terms: D003911:Dextrans; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D007501:Iron; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012685:Sepharose
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; D012685:Sepharose; D007501:Iron; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide