title: On the selection of optimal flip angles for T1 mapping of breast tumors with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: We present a method for selecting optimal flip angles for both precontrast and postcontrast T1 mapping of breast tumors using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging; and with the aim of improving accuracy in the estimation of contrast medium concentration. The proposed method can appropriately account for the different ranges of precontrst and postcontrast T1 values by the use of weighting functions, which also allow the flexibility to enhance the accuracy of certain T1 values, corresponding to the tissues of interest. Results of Monte Carlo simulations show that the proposed method could yield significantly lower errors in the estimation of contrast concentration, as compared with an existing approach.
authors.affiliation: Center for Modeling and Control of Complex Systems, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. pg00686364@ntu.edu.sg
authors.forename: Jeff L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium