Myocardial and liver iron status using a fast T*2 quantitative MRI (T*2qMRI) technique.
This work demonstrates the use of a fast and precise methodology for evaluating myocardial and liver iron status in multitransfused thalassemic patients by means of a fast T(2) (*) quantitative MRI (T(2) (*)qMRI) technique. Myocardial and liver T(2) (*) values were calculated in 48 thalassemic patients and 21 normal subjects on a 1.5T MRI system using a breath-hold 2D single-slice multiecho gradient-echo (MEGRE) sequence (16 echoes, TR/TE1/TE16/FA = 160/2.7/37.65 ms/25 degrees ). No ECG gating was used. Myocardial T(2) (*), liver T(2) (*), and myocardial to muscle (CR/MS) and liver to muscle (LV/MS) T(2) (*) ratios were correlated with serum ferritin concentration (SFC) levels for all patients. Significant differences in myocardial and liver mean T(2) (*), CR/MS, and LV/MS T(2) (*) values between patients and normal subjects were found (P < 0.0005). Differences in paraspinous muscle mean T(2) (*) values between patients and normal subjects were not significant. Myocardial T(2) (*) and CR/MS T(2) (*) values were not correlated with SFC levels. Liver T(2) (*) and LV/MS T(2) (*) values were significantly correlated with SFC (r = 0.540, P < 0.0005). Myocardial T(2) (*) and CR/MS T(2) (*) values were not correlated with either liver T(2) (*) or LV/MS T(2) (*) values, respectively. We conclude that myocardial and liver iron deposition can be evaluated using the fast non-ECG-gated T(2) (*)qMRI technique.
Maris
Thomas G
TG
Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Heraklion, University of Crete, Heraklion/Crete, Greece. tmaris@med.uoc.gr
Papakonstantinou
Olympia
O
Chatzimanoli
Vasiliki
V
Papadakis
Alekos
A
Pagonidis
Konstantinos
K
Papanikolaou
Nickolas
N
Karantanas
Apostolos
A
Gourtsoyiannis
Nicholas
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000378:metabolism*