title: Zoom imaging for rapid aortic vessel wall imaging and cardiovascular risk assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the utility of a "reduced field-of-view" (zoom imaging) technique to accelerate free-breathing, ECG-triggered, turbo-spin-echo black-blood sequences, which have been previously described to detect subclinical aortic atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen healthy volunteers underwent MRI of the thoracic and abdominal aorta. Imaging with the conventional full field-of-view sequence was compared with zoom imaging. Total scan time, image quality (i.e., contrast-to-noise ratio and vessel wall sharpness) and vessel wall thickness were analyzed. A subgroup of 10 volunteers also underwent acceleration of imaging using sensitivity encoding (SENSE) for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zoom imaging significantly reduced imaging time from a mean of 41 ± 9 min (conventional imaging) to 15 ± 0.5 min (P<0.01). There was no difference in image quality between conventional and zoom imaging with respect to CNR (10.1 ± 6 versus 10.1 ± 6) or vessel wall sharpness (38 ± 4% versus 39 ± 4%). Furthermore, Bland Altman plots showed excellent agreement in vessel wall thickness measurements using the two methods. In comparison, SENSE not only reduced CNR but also resulted in underestimation of vessel wall thickness compared with the conventional sequence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zoom imaging allows accurate and time-efficient imaging of the abdominal and thoracic aorta for cardiovascular risk prediction. In this application, it is preferable to SENSE.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health Research Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust/King's College, London, UK. tarique@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Tarique
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Clough
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cecelja
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makowski
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peel
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chowienczyk
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schaeffter
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greil
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Botnar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors