title: MRI contrast agent concentration and tumor interstitial fluid pressure.
abstract: The present work describes the relationship between tumor interstitial fluid pressure (TIFP) and the concentration of contrast agent for dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). We predict the spatial distribution of TIFP based on that of contrast agent concentration. We also discuss the cases for estimating tumor interstitial volume fraction (void fraction or porosity of porous medium), ve, and contrast volume transfer constant, K(trans), by measuring the ratio of contrast agent concentration in tissue to that in plasma. A linear fluid velocity distribution may reflect a quadratic function of TIFP distribution and lead to a practical method for TIFP estimation. To calculate TIFP, the parameters or variables should preferably be measured along the direction of the linear fluid velocity (this is in the same direction as the gray value distribution of the image, which is also linear). This method may simplify the calculation for estimating TIFP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4. Electronic address: liu111k@uwindsor.ca.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000032:analysis*; D045604:Extracellular Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016062:Porosity; D011312:Pressure
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: MRI contrast agent concentration; TIFP distribution; Volume fraction; Volume transfer constant