Accuracy and feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced 3D MR imaging in the assessment of lung perfusion: comparison with Tc-99 MAA perfusion scintigraphy

Oxygen-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging versus Computed Tomography

“…We also found some discrepancies between MRER and CT-based FLV. However, we could not explain the reasons because we compared the O 2enhanced MR parameter with quantitatively assessed morphologically changes of COPD in this study and could not compare them with functional information derived from other functional imaging techniques, such as nuclear medicine study, hyperpolarized noble gas MRI, and perfusion MRI (45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50). Therefore, we will plan new comparative studies between O 2 -enhanced MRI and other functional imaging techniques, including quantitatively assessed thin-section multidetector-row CT for further investigation of O 2 -enhanced MR indexes and the demonstration of the real significance of O 2 -enhanced MRI for management of patients with smoking-related COPD in the near future.…”

Prone positioning improves distribution of pulmonary perfusion: noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging study in healthy humans

“…However, the FAIR technique can overcome these limitations by allowing acquisition of lung perfusion images during short breath-hold without the use of contrast medium [18] and SIs of FAIR images have been shown to be proportional to flow [21]. The utilization of a gadoliniumbased contrast agent can strengthen the signals from lung, and recently, contrast enhanced dynamic three-dimensional MRI has resulted in the capture of higher resolution images [22][23][24] with potential for sensitive vascular functional assessment [25]. However, some serious side effects, such as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, have recently been reported [26], although the gadolinium-based contrast medium has generally been believed to be safe [27].…”

Acute COPD exacerbation: 3 T MRI evaluation of pulmonary regional perfusion – Preliminary experience

“…Lung parenchyma has a very short T2 value ranging from 0.9 to 2.2 ms, due to the multiple interface of air and soft tissue produced by the alveoli, which cause large local magnetic field gradients and dephase the MR signal [9,30,34]; thus we attempted to obtain a better MR signal from the lung parenchyma by using a 3.0 T field, which provides a higher SNR compared with lower fields such as 1.5 T, and performed a transaxial 3D T1-weighted turbo field-echo sequence, which need a short echo time (1.3 ms). The angiographic technique described in this study yields time-resolved images of the pulmonary circulation, from which physiologic information can be calculated.…”

“…Several techniques have been used for the assessment of pulmonary perfusion including lung perfusion scintigraphy [7] and dynamic computed tomography [8]. Radionuclide techniques based on intravenous administration of radioactive macro-aggregates have been widely used for many years and currently scintigraphy and SPECT represent the gold standard [9]. These techniques, however, expose the patient to ionizing radiations and have a reduced both spatial and temporal resolution, which results in a reduced anatomical definition and low functional sensitivity [10,11].…”