title: (3)He-MRI in follow-up of lung transplant recipients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible contribution of (3)He-MRI to detect obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) in the follow-up of lung transplant recipients. Nine single- and double-lung transplanted patients were studied by an initial and a follow-up (3)He-MRI study. Images were evaluated subjectively by estimation of ventilation defect area and quantitatively by individually adapted threshold segmentation and subsequent calculation of ventilated lung volume. Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) was diagnosed using pulmonary function tests. At (3)He-MRI, OB was suspected if ventilated lung volume had decreased by 10% or more at the follow-up MRI study compared with the initial study. General accordance between pulmonary function testing and (3)He-MRI was good, although subjective evaluation of (3)He-MRI underestimated improvement in ventilation as obtained by pulmonary function tests. The (3)He-MRI indicated OB in 6 cases. According to pulmonary function tests, BOS was diagnosed in 5 cases. All diagnoses of BOS were also detected by (3)He-MRI. In 2 of these 5 cases, (3)He-MRI indicated OB earlier than pulmonary function tests. The results support the hypothesis that (3)He-MRI may be sensitive for early detection of OB and emphasize the need for larger prospective follow-up studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Hospital, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany. kgast@radiologie.klinik.uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Klaus Kurt
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Gast
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaporozhan
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ley
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biedermann
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Knitz
authors.forename: Balthasar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eberle
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmiedeskamp
authors.forename: Claus-Peter
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Heussel
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Wolfgang Günter
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thelen
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Kauczor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001989:Bronchiolitis Obliterans / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006371:Helium; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D006371:Helium