title: Improved visualization of non-transmural scar using slice-selective inversion-recovery delayed contrast-enhanced MRI: a preliminary report.
abstract: Delayed contrast-enhanced MRI (ce-MRI) pulse sequence is a promising modality for the assessment of myocardial viability. However, conventional ce-MRI using a non-selective inversion recovery (IR) pulse can often yield poor edge definition or contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the non-transmural scar and blood (i.e. the blood and scar appear isointense). Subtraction and multicontrast ce-MRI methods can be used to improve the CNR between the non-transmural scar and blood, but they require two image acquisitions. The authors have developed a single-acquisition ce-MRI pulse sequence that utilizes a slice-selective IR pulse to generate bright-blood contrast using inflow effects for an improved edge definition between the non-transmural scar and blood. Six patients with myocardial infarction were imaged at 1.5 T using both non-selective and slice-selective IR ce-MRI acquisitions with identical imaging parameters. The CNR between the non-transmural scar and normal myocardium was not different between the two acquisitions. The CNR between the blood and non-transmural scar (16.9 +/- 12.3 versus 3.2 +/- 7.9; p < 0.001) was significantly higher for the slice-selective IR acquisition than for the non-selective IR acquisition. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using a slice-selective IR pulse to improve the visualization of a non-transmural scar in ce-MRI, without increasing the acquisition time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA. dan.kim@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Vivian S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Monvadi B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Srichai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media