title: Evaluation of myocardial microcirculation using intravoxel incoherent motion imaging.
abstract: To explore whether cardiac magnetic resonance-intravoxel incoherent motion imaging (MR-IVIM) is feasible for the clinical evaluation of myocardial microcirculation.
  
  
  
  The study included 30 patients (with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or combined diabetes and hypertension) and 34 healthy volunteers. MR-IVIM with a maximum gradient strength of 50 mT/m was performed on the left ventricular short axis (apex, middle, and base), using multiple b values (0-500 s/mm2) on a 3.0T MR scanner. MR-IVIM parameters of the left ventricle included apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)slow, ADCfast, and f (fraction of ADCfast). With a double-blind design, the image quality and IVIM parameters were assessed by two cardiovascular radiologists at 1-month intervals. Participants were stratified into two groups (failure or success), based on criteria for success of MR-IVIM acquisition. The heart rate of each participant was recorded.
  
  
  
  The success rates for image acquisition were 68.23% (131/192) overall, with the healthy group (74.51% [76/102]) significantly higher than the patient group (61.11% [55/90]). The mean heart rate was significantly higher in the failure group than the success group. The two radiologists were comparable in quality evaluations of the images (kappa = 0.82). Both the interobserver and intraobserver reliability for IVIM parameters were excellent for patients and healthy volunteers (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.8). However, the left ventricle myocardial ADCfastof each patient group was significantly lower than that of the healthy volunteers.
  
  
  
  MR-IVIM could noninvasively assess human myocardial microcirculation, but challenges remain before this method can be applied in the clinic.
  
  
  
  3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1818-1828.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Mengying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fengqiang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qingwei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ailian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: intravoxel incoherent motion; magnetic resonance; myocardial microcirculation