Optimization of the arterial input function for myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how injection rate, cardiac function, and breathhold influence the arterial input function (AIF), in order to optimize the AIF in the clinical setting for quantitative myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).


METHODS
Gd (0.1 mmol/kg) bolus was injected at 3, 5, or 7 mL/second in 35 patients. In each cardiac cycle during the first-pass, a series of saturation recovery (SR) fast low-angle shot (FLASH) low resolution images with exponentially increasing SR delay times were acquired. Signal intensity (SI) time measurements were made from a region of interest (ROI) drawn in the ascending aorta (AA). The calculation of short T1s and thus peak Gd concentration [Gd] was performed by fitting the mean ROI SI against SR delay times.


RESULTS
The mean peak [Gd] in the AA increased as injection rate increased from 3 mL/second (5.0 mM), to 5 mL/second (7.1 mM), to 7 mL/second (4 mM) (P < 0.0001). The peak [Gd] increased as the left ventricular stroke volume (LV SV) increased (P = 0.01). Breath holding was not found to influence peak [Gd].


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, we found that a high injection rate has advantages over lower injection speeds, although the duration of the AIF was apparently not significantly shortened by faster injection. The choice of expiration or inspiration as breathhold did not have a significant influence upon the AIF. Poor cardiac function was associated with a lower peak [Gd], indicating that first pass perfusion measurements in these patients will be suboptimal.
Elkington
Andrew G
AG
Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust and Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, London, UK.
He
Taigang
T
Gatehouse
Peter D
PD
Prasad
Sanjay K
SK
Firmin
David N
DN
Pennell
Dudley J
DJ
D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
D019786:Gadolinium DTPA