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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
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Multi-modal Pulmonary Imaging: Using Complementary Information from CT and Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to Evaluate Lung Structure-Function
Published on: April 12, 2024
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: longitudinal hyperpolarized (3)He MR imaging.
Miranda Kirby1, Lindsay Mathew, Andrew Wheatley
1Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
Radiology
|June 25, 2010
Summary
Hyperpolarized helium 3 magnetic resonance imaging detected worsening lung disease in ex-smokers with COPD over two years. This advanced imaging technique showed significant changes not apparent with standard pulmonary function tests.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Medical Imaging
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease often linked to smoking.
- Standard pulmonary function tests, like FEV1, may not detect early or subtle changes in COPD progression.
- Hyperpolarized helium 3 ((3)He) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging offers a novel approach to visualize lung microstructure and ventilation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess changes in lung ventilation and diffusion in ex-smokers with COPD and healthy volunteers over approximately two years.
- To evaluate the sensitivity of (3)He MR imaging in detecting disease progression in COPD patients compared to traditional measures.
- To establish the feasibility of using (3)He MR imaging in a longitudinal study of COPD.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 15 ex-smokers with COPD and 5 healthy volunteers.
- Longitudinal assessment over 26 months using (3)He MR imaging, hydrogen 1 MR imaging, spirometry, and plethysmography.
- Calculation of apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) and generation of ventilation defect volume (VDV) and percentage (VDP) from (3)He MR images.
Main Results:
- Significant worsening of (3)He MR imaging-derived VDV, VDP, and ADC was observed in the COPD group.
- No significant changes were detected in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) in the COPD group over the study period.
- A significant correlation was found between changes in FEV1 and changes in VDV and VDP, indicating a relationship between imaging findings and lung function decline.
Conclusions:
- Hyperpolarized (3)He MR imaging demonstrated significant deterioration in lung ventilation and diffusion in ex-smokers with COPD.
- These imaging metrics showed increased sensitivity in detecting COPD-related lung changes over a short timeframe compared to FEV1.
- (3)He MR imaging holds promise as a sensitive tool for monitoring disease progression in COPD.
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