Tracer kinetic analysis of signal time series from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging

Rapid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) makes it possible to detect the fast kinetics of tissue response after intravenous administration of a paramagnetic contrast medium (CM), reflecting the status of tissue microcirculation. In this paper, the basic physical and tracer kinetic principles of dynamic relaxivity and susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI are reviewed. Quantitative analysis of data acquired is broken up into an MR-specific part, in which the signal variation observed is related to the CM concentration in the tissue, and an MR-independent part, in which the computed concentration time series are analyzed by tracer kinetic modeling to estimate well-defined physiological tissue parameters. The clinical application of dynamic MRI techniques is demonstrated by two representative studies.