Assessment of left ventricular volumes and mass with fast 3D cine steady-state free precession k-t space broad-use linear acquisition speed-up technique (k-t BLAST).
OBJECTIVE
To compare left ventricular (LV) volume and mass assessment using two-dimensional (2D) cine steady-state free precession (SSFP) and k-t space broad-use linear acquisition speed-up technique (k-t BLAST) accelerated 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


METHODS
On a commercially available 1.5T MR scanner, 2D cine SSFP, six- and eight-fold accelerated 3D k-t BLAST were performed to evaluate LV volumes and mass in 17 volunteers. After semiautomatic segmentation of the different MR data sets, the resulting volumes and mass were compared according to the mean difference, 95% confidence interval, standard deviation (SD), Pearson's correlation coefficient, Bland-Altman analysis, and the Pitman-Morgan test.


RESULTS
Data acquisition was successful in all subjects. The number of required breathholds was reduced from a maximal of five for the 2D cine SSFP sequence to two for 3D k-t BLAST sequences. Comparing LV volumes, there was excellent agreement between 2D and 3D cine 8x k-t BLAST SSFP volumes (mean difference +/- 2SD end-diastolic volume [EDV] = 5 +/- 8 mL, end-systolic volume [ESV] = 1 +/-12 mL, and stroke volume [SV] = 3 +/- 8 mL), and mass (-1.8 +/- 9 g).


CONCLUSIONS
k-t BLAST-accelerated 3D sequences allow accurate assessment of LV volumes and mass compared to 2D cine SSFP. This method may reduce costs and increase patient comfort due to shortened data acquisition time and reduced number of breathholds.
Greil
Gerald F
GF
Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Children's Hospital, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. gerald.greil@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Germann
Sabrina
S
Kozerke
Sebastian
S
Baltes
Christof
C
Tsao
Jeffrey
J
Urschitz
Michael S
MS
Seeger
Achim
A
Tangcharoen
Tarinee
T
Bialkowsky
Anja
A
Miller
Stephan
S
Sieverding
Ludger
L
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology