Compressed sensing acceleration of cardiac cine imaging allows reliable and reproducible assessment of volumetric and functional parameters of the left and right atrium

Abstract

Objectives To compare volumetric and functional parameters of the atria derived from highly accelerated compressed sensing (CS)–based cine sequences in comparison to conventional (Conv) cine imaging. Methods CS and Conv cine sequences were acquired in 101 subjects (82 healthy volunteers (HV) and 19 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)) using a 3T MR scanner in this single-center study. Time-volume analysis of the left (LA) and right atria (RA) were performed in both sequences to evaluate atrial volumes and function (total, passive, and active emptying fraction). Inter-sequence and inter- and intra-reader agreement were analyzed using correlation, intraclass correlation (ICC), and Bland-Altman analysis. Results CS-based cine imaging led to a 69% reduction of acquisition time. There was significant difference in atrial parameters between CS and Conv cine, e.g., LA minimal volume (LAVmin) (Conv 24.0 ml (16.7–32.7), CS 25.7 ml (19.2–35.2), p < 0.0001) or passive emptying fraction (PEF) (Conv 53.9% (46.7–58.4), CS 49.0% (42.0–54.1), p < 0.0001). However, there was high correlation between the techniques, yielding good to excellent ICC (0.76–0.99) and small mean of differences in Bland-Altman analysis (e.g. LAVmin − 2.0 ml, PEF 3.3%). Measurements showed high inter- (ICC > 0.958) and intra-rater (ICC > 0.934) agreement for both techniques. CS-based parameters (PEF AUC = 0.965, LAVmin AUC = 0.864) showed equivalent diagnostic ability compared to Conv cine imaging (PEF AUC = 0.989, LAVmin AUC = 0.859) to differentiate between HV and HFrEF. Conclusion Atrial volumetric and functional evaluation using CS cine imaging is feasible with relevant reduction of acquisition time, therefore strengthening the role of CS in clinical CMR for atrial imaging. Key Points • Reliable assessment of atrial volumes and function based on compressed sensing cine imaging is feasible. • Compressed sensing reduces scan time and has the potential to overcome obstacles of conventional cine imaging. • No significant differences for subjective image quality, inter- and intra-rater agreement, and ability to differentiate healthy volunteers and heart failure patients were detected between conventional and compressed sensing cine imaging.

Fast acquisition of left and right ventricular function parameters applying cardiovascular magnetic resonance in clinical routine – validation of a 2-shot compressed sensing cine sequence

“…Image sharpness was measured in previous studies [18,29]. Overall, the findings suggest a clear improvement in image sharpness between RT and segmented 2 D CS cines with retrograde gating [24] whereas a small to no improvement between conventional and CS cines [29,30]. By adapting the objective image criteria, we could show that the CS image quality in fact is not worse than the conventional approach.…”

“…In addition to these standardized parameters, there has been also research carried out regarding atrial functional parameters (e.g. left and right atrial size and emptying fractions) [30]. The overall results show a good correlation between conventional and CS cines with the advantage of a significant time reduction.…”

Feature-Tracking Strain Parameters Differ Between Highly Accelerated and Conventional Acquisitions

“…There have been multiple studies investigating the effects of CS acceleration on conventional volumetric parameters. These have demonstrated good reproducibility and clinical applicability for both ventricular 1 and atrial 16 functional parameters.…”

3D whole-heart noncontrast coronary MR angiography based on compressed SENSE technology: a comparative study of conventional SENSE sequence and coronary computed tomography angiography

“…The correlation of the visible vessel length between CMRA and CCTA techniques for LAD was lower than that of RCA and LCX because of the following reasons: (1) The right coronary dominance was the most common type of coronary circulation, and the distal branches of LAD and LCX were thinner and could not generate sufficient signal intensity. Using contrast agents or sublingual nitroglycerin might improve the visualization of the vessels [ 36 ]. (2) A certain difference existed between the optimal systolic acquisition windows for LAD and RCA in some patients.…”