Purpose:To determine the utility of cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) T1 mapping for quantification of diffuse myocardial fibrosis compared with the standard of endomyocardial biopsy. Materials and Methods:This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the institutional review board. Cardiomyopathy patients were retrospectively identified who had undergone endomyocardial biopsy and cardiac MR at one institution during a 5-year period. Forty-seven patients (53% male; mean age, 46.8 years) had undergone diagnostic cardiac MR and endomyocardial biopsy. Thirteen healthy volunteers (54% male; mean age, 38.1 years) underwent cardiac MR as a reference. Myocardial T1 mapping was performed 10.7 minutes 6 2.7 (standard deviation) after bolus injection of 0.2 mmol/kg gadolinium chelate by using an inversion-recovery Look-Locker sequence on a 1.5-T MR imager. Late gadolinium enhancement was assessed by using gradientecho inversion-recovery sequences. Cardiac MR results were the consensus of two radiologists who were blinded to histopathologic findings. Endomyocardial biopsy fibrosis was quantitatively measured by using automated image analysis software with digital images of specimens stained with Masson trichrome. Histopathologic findings were reported by two pathologists blinded to cardiac MR findings. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U test, analysis of variance, and linear regression. Results:Median myocardial fibrosis was 8.5% (interquartile range, 5.7-14.4). T1 times were greater in control subjects than in patients without and in patients with evident late gadolinium enhancement (466 msec 6 14, 406 msec 6 59, and 303 msec 6 53, respectively; P , .001). T1 time and histologic fibrosis were inversely correlated (r = 20.57; 95% confidence interval: 20.74, 20.34; P , .0001). The area under the curve for myocardial T1 time to detect fibrosis of greater than 5% was 0.84 at a cutoff of 383 msec. Conclusion:Cardiac MR with T1 mapping can provide noninvasive evidence of diffuse myocardial fibrosis in patients referred for evaluation of cardiomyopathy.q RSNA, 2012

Background-Accurate knowledge of the human atrial fibrous structure is paramount in understanding the mechanisms of atrial electric function in health and disease. Thus far, such knowledge has been acquired from destructive sectioning, and there is a paucity of data about atrial fiber architecture variability in the human population. Methods and Results-In this study, we have developed a customized 3-dimensional diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging sequence on a clinical scanner that makes it possible to image an entire intact human heart specimen ex vivo at submillimeter resolution. The data from 8 human atrial specimens obtained with this technique present complete maps of the fibrous organization of the human atria. The findings demonstrate that the main features of atrial anatomy are mostly preserved across subjects although the exact location and orientation of atrial bundles vary. Using the full tractography data, we were able to cluster, visualize, and characterize the distinct major bundles in the human atria. Furthermore, quantitative characterization of the fiber angles across the atrial wall revealed that the transmural fiber angle distribution is heterogeneous throughout different regions of the atria. Conclusions-The application of submillimeter diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging provides an unprecedented level of information on both human atrial structure, as well as its intersubject variability. The high resolution and fidelity of this data could enhance our understanding of structural contributions to atrial rhythm and pump disorders and lead to improvements in their targeted treatment. (Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2016;9:e004133.

Quantitative T1 mapping of delayed gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has shown promise in identifying diffuse myocardial fibrosis. Despite careful control of magnetic resonance imaging parameters, comparison of T1 times between different patients may be problematic because of patient specific factors such as gadolinium dose, differing glomerular filtration rates, and patient specific delay times. In this work, a model driven approach to account for variations between patients to allow for comparison of T1 data is provided. Kinetic model parameter values were derived from healthy volunteer time-contrast curves. Correction values for the factors described above were used to normalize T1 values to a matched state. Examples of pre- and postcorrected values for a pool of normal subjects and in a patient cohort of type 1 diabetic patients shows tighter clustering and improved discrimination of disease state.

Modified Look-Locker imaging is frequently used for T1 mapping of the myocardium. However, the specific effect of various MRI parameters (e.g., encoding scheme, modifications of flip angle, heart rate, T2, and inversion times) on the accuracy of T1 measurement has not been studied through Bloch simulations. In this work, modified Look-Locker imaging was characterized through a numerical solution for Bloch equations. MRI sequence parameters that may affect T1 accuracy were systematically varied in the simulation. For validation, phantoms were constructed with various T2 and T1 times and compared with Bloch equation simulations. Human volunteers were also evaluated with various pulse sequences parameters to assess the validity of the numerical simulations. There was close agreement between simulated T1 times and T1 times measured in phantoms and volunteers. Lower T2 times (i.e., <30 ms) resulted in errors greater than 5% for T1 determination. Increasing maximum inversion time value improved T1 accuracy particularly for precontrast myocardial T1. Balanced steady-state free precession k space centric encoding improved accuracy for short T1 times (post gadolinium), but linear encoding provided improved accuracy for precontrast T1 values. Lower flip angles are preferred if the signal-to-noise ratio is sufficiently high. Bloch simulations for modified Look-Locker imaging provide an accurate method to comprehensively quantify the effect of pulse sequence parameters on T1 accuracy. As an alternative to otherwise lengthy phantom studies or human studies, such simulations may be useful to optimize the modified Look-Locker imaging sequence and compare differences in T1-derived measurements from different scanners or institutions.

PURPOSE To evaluate the relationship between “Look-Locker” (LL) and modified Look-Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) approaches for T1 mapping of the myocardium. MATERIALS AND METHODS 168 myocardial T1 maps using MOLLI and 165 maps using LL were obtained in human subjects at 1.5 Tesla. The T1 values of the myocardium were calculated before and at five time points after gadolinium administration. All time and heart rate normalizations were done. The T1 values obtained were compared to determine the absolute and bias agreement. RESULTS The pre-contrast global T1 values were similar when measured by the LL and by MOLLI technique (mean 1004.9 ms +/- 120.3 vs. 1034.1 ms +/- 53.1, respectively, p = 0.26). Post-contrast myocardial T1 time from LL was significantly longer than MOLLI from 5 to 25 minutes (mean difference, LL - MOLLI was +61.8 +/- 46.4 ms, p < 0.001). No significant differences in T1 values were noted between long and short axis measurements for either MOLLI or LL. CONCLUSION Post-contrast LL and MOLLI showed very good agreement, although LL vaules are higher than MOLLI. Pre-contrast T1 values showed good agreement, however LL has greater limits of agreement. Short and long axis planes can reliably assess T1 values.

Background Patients with DM are at risk for atrioventricular block and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Non-invasive detection of diffuse myocardial fibrosis may improve disease management in this population. Objective Our aim was to define functional and post-contrast myocardial T1 time cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) characteristics in myotonic muscular dystrophy (DM) patients. Methods Thirty-three DM patients (24 with type 1 and 9 with type 2) and 13 healthy volunteers underwent CMR for assessment of LV indices and evaluation of diffuse myocardial fibrosis by T1 mapping. The association of myocardial T1 time to ECG abnormalities and LV indices were examined among DM patients. Results DM patients had lower end-diastolic volume index (68.9 vs. 60.3 ml/m2, p=0.045), cardiac index (2.7 vs. 2.33 L/min/m2, p=0.005) and shorter myocardial T1time (394.5 vs. 441.4 ms, p<0.0001), compared to control subjects. Among DM patients, there was a positive association between higher T1 time and LV mass index (2.2 ms longer per gm/m2, p=0.006), LV end-diastolic volume index (1.3 ms longer per ml/m2, p=0.026), filtered QRS duration (1.2 ms longer per unit, p=0.005) and low-amplitude (<40mcV) late-potential duration (0.9 ms longer per unit, p=0.01). Using multivariate random effects regression, each 10 ms increase in myocardial T1 time of type 1 DM patients was independently associated with 1.3 ms increase in longitudinal PR and QRS intervals during follow-up. Conclusion DM is associated with structural alterations on CMR. Post-contrast myocardial T1 time was shorter in DM patients than controls likely reflecting the presence of diffuse myocardial fibrosis.

Our results suggest a 90% upper confidence limit for normal median nerve CSA of 14.4 mm(2) at the proximal carpal tunnel, higher than normal limits reported by many ultrasound studies. We observed a difference between the CSA and ADC, but not the FA, of the median nerve at the distal forearm and proximal carpal tunnel levels.

MRI T2 maps of muscle can be corrected for varying fat content by combining the information from chemical shift-sensitive gradient-echo and multiecho spin-echo images. Use of this strategy may prove useful in the study of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and other diseases characterized by both muscle inflammation and atrophy.