Elimination of residual blood flow-related signal in 3D volume-selective TSE arterial wall imaging using velocity-sensitive phase reconstruction.
OBJECTIVE
To improve 3D volume-selective turbo spin-echo (TSE) arterial wall imaging by introducing velocity phase sensitivity to the sequence.


METHODS
Slow or recirculating blood may give incomplete nulling in 3D vessel wall imaging, hindering differentiation between arterial wall and lumen. Reconstructed phase images are used to reduce the residual blood signal with postprocessing. A volume-selective 3D TSE (1) sequence with increased velocity sensitivity perpendicular to the slab was developed. Sensitivity was introduced by modifying the gradient waveforms such that residual signal from slow or recirculating blood is distinguished from the wall by the phase shift introduced. This was tested on a pulsatile flow phantom and the carotid artery wall of six healthy volunteers and 17 patients. Images were acquired on a Siemens Magnetom Sonata 1.5T scanner. A quantitative comparison of the lumen/wall contrast was made using images acquired with and without modification.


RESULTS
Velocity sensitivity produces significantly reduced residual signal by intravoxel dephasing. Phantom "lumen/tissue" contrast improved by 0.10 (P < 0.01), with a similar change in vivo (0.69-0.73, P < 0.01). Postprocessing removal of the blood signal using phase signal provided further improvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Introducing velocity sensitivity reduces unwanted, potentially misleading residual blood in 3D volume-selective vessel wall imaging.
Crowe
Lindsey A
LA
Magnetic Resonance Unit, Imperial College and Royal Brompton Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NP, UK.
Varghese
Anitha
A
Mohiaddin
Raad H
RH
Yang
Guang Zhong
GZ
Firmin
David N
DN
D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity