A general dual-bolus approach for quantitative DCE-MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To present a dual-bolus technique for quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and show that it can give an arterial input function (AIF) measurement equivalent to that from a single-bolus protocol.


METHODS
Five rabbits were imaged using a dual-bolus technique applicable for high-resolution DCE-MRI, incorporating a time resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS) sequence for rapid temporal sampling. AIFs were measured from both the low-dose prebolus and the high-dose main bolus in the abdominal aorta. In one animal, TRICKS and fast spoiled gradient echo (FSPGR) acquisitions were compared.


RESULTS
The scaled prebolus AIF was shown to match the main bolus AIF, with 95% confidence intervals overlapping for fits of gamma-variate functions to the first pass and linear fits to the washout phase, with the exception of one case. The AIFs measured using TRICKS and FSPGR were shown to be equivalent in one animal.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed technique can capture even the rapid circulation kinetics in the rabbit aorta, and the scaled prebolus AIF is equivalent to the AIF from a high-dose injection. This allows separate measurements of the AIF and tissue uptake curves, meaning that each curve can then be acquired using a protocol tailored to its specific requirements.
The Research Institute and Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lucy E
LE
Kershaw
Hai-Ling Margaret
HL
Cheng
D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D011817:Rabbits; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA