Phase-sensitive inversion recovery for detecting myocardial infarction using gadolinium-delayed hyperenhancement

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Radiology

Background:

• Gadolinium-enhanced MRI reveals myocardial infarction (MI) via delayed hyperenhancement.
• Inversion recovery (IR) sequences are used, but their performance depends heavily on the selected inversion recovery time (TI).
• Magnitude-reconstructed images show high sensitivity to TI, complicating accurate infarct size assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the benefits of phase-sensitive IR image reconstruction for detecting MI.
• To demonstrate improved consistency and reduced variability in infarct size measurement.
• To assess the utility of phase-sensitive detection in conjunction with surface coil intensity normalization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized phase-sensitive reconstruction for IR imaging of infarcted myocardium.
• Employed phase-sensitive detection to remove background phase and preserve magnetization sign.
• Applied surface coil intensity normalization to improve image quality.
• Compared results with traditional magnitude-reconstructed images.

Main Results:

• Phase-sensitive reconstruction significantly reduced variations in apparent infarct size across different TI values.
• This method allows for the use of a nominal TI, eliminating the need for precise null time determination.
• Phase-sensitive detection decreased sensitivity to changes in tissue T(1) over time post-contrast injection.

Conclusions:

• Phase-sensitive IR image reconstruction offers a more robust and consistent method for detecting myocardial infarction.
• The technique simplifies imaging protocols by reducing breath-holds and TI optimization.
• Combined with surface coil intensity normalization, it enhances the reliable assessment of infarct size in cardiac MRI.