title: Magnetic resonance assessment of left ventricular volumes and mass using a single-breath-hold 3D k-t BLAST cine b-SSFP in comparison with multiple-breath-hold 2D cine b-SSFP.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility of single-breath-hold three-dimensional cine b-SSFP (balanced steady-state free precession gradient echo) sequence (3D-cine), accelerated with k-t BLAST (broad-use linear acquisition speed-up technique), compared with multiple-breath-hold 2D cine b-SSFP (2D-cine) sequence for assessment of left ventricular (LV) function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Imaging was performed using 1.5-T MRI (Achieva, Philips, The Netherlands) in 46 patients with different cardiac diseases. Global functional parameters, LV mass, imaging time and reporting time were evaluated and compared in each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functional parameters and mass were significantly different in the two sequences [3D end-diastolic volume (EDV) = 129 ± 44 ml vs 2D EDV = 134 ± 49 ml; 3D end-systolic volume (ESV) = 77 ± 44 ml vs 2D ESV = 73 ± 50 ml; 3D ejection fraction (EF) = 43 ± 15% vs 2D EF = 48 ± 15%; p < 0.05], although an excellent correlation was found for LV EF (r = 0.99). Bland-Altman analysis showed small confidence intervals with no interactions on volumes (EF limits of agreement = 2.7; 7.6; mean bias 5%). Imaging time was significantly lower for 3D-cine sequence (18 ± 1 s vs 95 ± 23 s; p < 0.05), although reporting time was significantly longer for the 3D-cine sequence (29 ± 7 min vs 8 ± 3 min; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 3D-cine sequence can be advocated as an alternative to 2D-cine sequence for LV EF assessment in patients for whom shorter imaging time is desirable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Cardiology, University Hospital, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messalli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Alexia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Pelt
authors.forename: Robert-Jan
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Geuns
authors.forename: Annick C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Weustink
authors.forename: Nico R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Mollet
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.forename: Annachiara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aldrovandi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imbriaco
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bogaert
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cademartiri