Purpose:To improve the robustness of arterial spin-labeled measured perfusion using a novel Cartesian acquisition with spiral profile reordering (CASPR) 3D turbo spin echo (TSE) in the brain and kidneys. Methods: The CASPR view ordering followed a pseudo-spiral trajectory on a Cartesian grid, by sampling the center of k-space at the beginning of each echo train of a segmented 3D TSE acquisition. With institutional review board approval and written informed consent, 14 normal subjects (9 brain and 5 kidneys) were scanned with pCASL perfusion imaging using 3D CASPR and compared against 3D linear TSE (brain and kidneys), the established 2D EPI and 3D gradient and spin echo perfusion (brain), and 2D single-shot turbo spin-echo perfusion (kidneys). The SNR and the quantitative perfusion values were compared among different acquisitions. Results: 3D CASPR TSE achieved robust perfusion across all slices compared to 3D linear TSE in the brain and kidneys. Compared to 2D EPI, 3D CASPR TSE showed higher SNR across the brain (P < 0.01), and exhibited good agreement (36.4 ± 4.7 and 36.9 ± 5.3 mL/100 g/min with 2D EPI and 3D CASPR, respectively), and with 3D gradient and spin echo (27.9 ± 7.2 mL/100 g/min). Compared to a single slice 2D single-shot turbo spin-echo acquisition, 3D CASPR TSE achieved robust perfusion across the entire kidneys in similar scan time with comparable quantified perfusion values (154.1 ± 74.6 and 151.7 ± 70.6 mL/100 g/min with 2D single-shot turbo spin-echo and 3D CASPR, respectively). Conclusion: The CASPR view ordering with 3D TSE achieves robust arterial spinlabeled perfusion in the brain and kidneys because of the sampling of the center of k-space at the beginning of each echo train.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is common, and features a widened Sharp's angle as observed on pelvic x-ray images. Determination of Sharp's angle, essential for clinical decisions, can overwhelm the workload of orthopedic surgeons. To aid diagnosis of DDH and reduce false negative diagnoses, a simple and cost-effective tool is proposed. The model was designed using artificial intelligence (AI), and evaluated for its ability to screen anteroposterior pelvic radiographs automatically, accurately, and efficiently.Orthotopic anterior pelvic x-ray images were retrospectively collected (n = 11574) from the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) database at Second Hospital of Jilin University. The Mask regional convolutional neural network (R-CNN) model was utilized and finely modified to detect 4 key points that delineate Sharp's angle. Of these images, 11,473 were randomly selected, labeled, and used to train and validate the modified Mask R-CNN model. A test dataset comprised the remaining 101 images. Python-based utility software was applied to draw and calculate Sharp's angle automatically. The diagnoses of DDH obtained via the model or the traditional manual drawings of 3 orthopedic surgeons were compared, each based on the degree of Sharp's angle, and these were then evaluated relative to the final clinical diagnoses (based on medical history, symptoms, signs, x-ray films, and computed tomography images).Sharp's angles on the left and right measured via the AI model (40.07°± 4.09°and 40.65°± 4.21°), were statistically similar to that of the surgeons' (39.35°± 6.74°and 39.82°± 6.99°). The measurement time required by the AI model (1.11 ± 0.00 s) was significantly less than that of the doctors (86.72 ± 1.10, 93.26 ± 1.12, and 87.34 ± 0.80 s). The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the AI method for diagnosis of DDH were similar to that of the orthopedic surgeons; the diagnoses of both were moderately consistent with the final clinical diagnosis.The proposed AI model can automatically measure Sharp's angle with a performance similar to that of orthopedic surgeons, but requires far less time. The AI model may be a viable auxiliary to clinical diagnosis of DDH.

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Objectives: While evidence that episodes of mania in bipolar I are associated with changes in bioenergetic and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cerebral blood flow velocity (rCBFV), both the regions and the extent of these changes have not yet been defined. Therefore, we determined the pattern of regional cerebral perfusion mania patients and using patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) as positive controls and healthy participants as negative controls.Methods: Twenty participants with mania, together with 22 MDD patients and 24 healthy volunteers, were recruited for this study. On all participants, Transcranial Doppler (TCD) was conducted to measure rCBFV parameters, 320-slice CT was conducted to measure rCBF in the different cerebral artery regions, and hematological parameters were assessed. ANOVA and Pearson's tests were used for the statistical analysis.Results: Our data indicated that rCBF in the medial temporal lobe and hippocampus, especially in the left medial temporal lobe and the right hippocampus, was increased in the mania group compared with the control and MDD groups (p < 0.01). In contrast, rCBF in the medial temporal lobe and hippocampus was decreased in the depression group (p < 0.01) compared with healthy controls. In addition, values of rCBFV in the bilateral internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and middle cerebral arteries (MCA) were increased in mania (p < 0.01) in comparison to the MDD group. Whole blood viscosity and hematocrit as well as red blood cell sedimentation rate remained unchanged in all group (p > 0.05).Conclusions: In mania, rCBF is increased in the medial temporal lobe and hippocampus, with a corresponding increase in rCBFV in the same regions.

Arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging can provide quantitative perfusion measurements in the brain and can be potentially used to evaluate therapy response assessment in glioblastoma (GBM). The reliability and reproducibility of this method to measure noncontrast perfusion in GBM, however, are lacking. We evaluated the intrasession reliability of brain and tumor perfusion in both healthy volunteers and patients with GBM at 3 T using pseudocontinuous labeling (pCASL) and 3D turbo spin echo (TSE) using Cartesian acquisition with spiral profile reordering (CASPR). Two healthy volunteers at a single time point and 6 newly diagnosed patients with GBM at multiple time points (before, during, and after chemoradiation) underwent scanning (total, 14 sessions). Compared with 3D GraSE, 3D TSE-CASPR generated cerebral blood flow maps with better tumor-to-normal background tissue contrast and reduced image distortions. The intraclass correlation coefficient between the 2 runs of 3D pCASL with TSE-CASPR was consistently high (≥0.90) across all normal-appearing gray matter (NAGM) regions of interest (ROIs), and was particularly high in tumors (0.98 with 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97–0.99). The within-subject coefficients of variation were relatively low in all normal-appearing gray matter regions of interest (3.40%–7.12%), and in tumors (4.91%). Noncontrast perfusion measured using 3D pCASL with TSE-CASPR provided robust cerebral blood flow maps in both healthy volunteers and patients with GBM with high intrasession repeatability at 3 T. This approach can be an appropriate noncontrast and noninvasive quantitative perfusion imaging method for longitudinal assessment of therapy response and management of patients with GBM.

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