3D breath-held cardiac function with projection reconstruction in steady state free precession validated using 2D cine MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a three-dimensional (3D) single breath-hold, projection reconstruction (PR), balanced steady state free precession (SSFP) method for cardiac function evaluation against a two-dimensional (2D) multislice Fourier (Cartesian) transform (FT) SSFP method.


METHODS
The 3D PR SSFP sequence used projections in the x-y plane and partitions in z, providing 70-80 msec temporal resolution and 1.7 x 1.7 x 8-10 mm in a 24-heartbeat breath hold. A total of 10 volunteers were imaged with both methods, and the measurements of global cardiac function were compared.


RESULTS
Mean signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for the blood and myocardium were 114 and 42 (2D) and 59 and 21 (3D). Bland-Altman analysis comparing the 2D and 3D ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV) and end systolic volume (LVESV), and end diastolic myocardial mass (LVEDM) provided values of bias +/-2 SD of 0.6% +/- 7.7 % for LVEF, 5.9 mL +/- 20 mL for LVEDV, -2.8 mL +/- 12 mL for LVESV, and -0.61 g +/- 13 g for LVEDM. 3D interobserver variability was greater than 2D for LVEDM and LVESV.


CONCLUSIONS
In a single breath hold, the 3D PR method provides comparable information to the standard 2D FT method, which employs 10-12 breath holds.
Cardiac MR Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. dcpeters@bidmc.harvard.edu
Dana C
DC
Peters
Daniel B
DB
Ennis
Pratik
P
Rohatgi
Mushabbar A
MA
Syed
Elliot R
ER
McVeigh
Andrew E
AE
Arai
D000328:Adult; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*