title: Intraindividual comparison of myocardial delayed enhancement MR imaging using gadobenate dimeglumine at 1.5 T and 3 T.
abstract: For contrast-enhanced imaging techniques relying on strong T1 weighting, 3 T provides increased contrast compared with 1.5 T. The aim of our study was the intraindividual comparison of delayed enhancement MR imaging at 1.5 T and at 3 T. Twenty patients with myocardial infarction were examined at 1.5 T and 3 T. Fifteen minutes after injection of contrast agent (0.1 mmol gadobenate dimeglumine per kg body weight), inversion recovery gradient recalled echo (IR-GRE) sequences were acquired (1.5 T/3 T: TR 11.0/9.9 ms, TE 4.4/4.9 ms, flip 30 degrees /30 degrees , slice thickness 6/6 mm) to assess myocardial viability. Two observers rated image quality (Wilcoxon signed rank test). Quantification of hyperenhanced myocardium and standardized SNR/CNR measurements were performed (Student's t test). There was no significant difference with respect to image quality (1.5 T/3 T: 3.5/3.3, p = 0.34, reader 1; 2.4/2.7, p = 0.12, reader 2) and infarction size (760 +/- 566/828 +/- 677 mm(2) at 1.5 T, 808 +/- 639/826 +/- 726 mm(2) at 3 T, reader 1/reader 2, p > 0.05). Mean SNR in hyperenhanced/normal myocardium was 19.2/6.2 at 1.5 T and 29.5/8.8 at 3 T (p < 0.05). Mean CNR was 14.3 at 1.5 T and 26.0 at 3 T (p < 0.05). Delayed enhancement MR imaging at 3 T is a robust procedure yielding superior tissue contrast at 3 T compared with 1.5 T which is, however, not reflected by increased image quality.
authors.affiliation: Department for Diagnostic Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. bernhard.klumpp@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Bernhard D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Klumpp
authors.forename: Joern
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandstede
authors.forename: Klaus P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lodemann
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seeger
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoevelborn
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenchel
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Claus D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C064572:gadobenic acid; D008536:Meglumine