Self-navigated isotropic three-dimensional cardiac T2 mapping.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate T2 quantification is crucial for assessing myocardial tissue properties.
• Existing cardiac T2 mapping techniques face challenges in resolution and robustness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and characterize an isotropic three-dimensional cardiac T2 mapping technique.
• To evaluate the accuracy and robustness of the developed technique.

Main Methods:

• A self-navigated 3D radial segmented balanced steady-state free precession sequence with 1.7-mm isotropic resolution was used.
• Simulations assessed heart rate, B1 inhomogeneity, and noise effects.
• Phantom studies compared results with a gold-standard spin-echo method.
• Volunteer studies evaluated robustness and homogeneity.

Main Results:

• Simulations showed minor deviations from heart rate and B1 inhomogeneity.
• Phantom studies demonstrated good agreement with the gold standard.
• Volunteer studies yielded an average myocardial T2 of 40.5 ± 3.3 ms with minimal T2 gradients.
• Preliminary patient data showed elevated T2 values in regions with edema.

Conclusions:

• The developed respiratory self-navigated isotropic 3D technique enables accurate in vitro and in vivo T2 quantification.
• This technique offers a robust approach for cardiac T2 mapping.