Non-contrast quantitative pulmonary perfusion using flow alternating inversion recovery at 3T: A preliminary study

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background:

• Pulmonary perfusion imaging is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring lung diseases.
• Current methods often involve ionizing radiation or contrast agents, posing potential risks.
• Non-contrast techniques are desirable for repeated assessments and vulnerable patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the feasibility of non-contrast quantitative pulmonary perfusion imaging at 3 Tesla (3T) using Flow Alternating Inversion Recovery (FAIR).
• To evaluate the intra-session and inter-session reliability of FAIR measurements for pulmonary perfusion at 3T.

Main Methods:

• Nine healthy volunteers underwent quantitative FAIR perfusion imaging at 3T.
• FAIR measurements were correlated with phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of blood flow in the right pulmonary artery (RPA).
• Comparison with SPECT perfusion and assessment of repeatability using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis were performed.

Main Results:

• FAIR perfusion values showed significant correlation with RPA blood flow (r=0.73, p<0.001).
• FAIR demonstrated higher relative dispersion (RD) compared to SPECT, suggesting sensitivity to perfusion heterogeneity.
• High intra-session ICC (0.96) and improved inter-session ICC (0.72) were observed when larger vessels were excluded.

Conclusions:

• Non-contrast quantitative pulmonary perfusion imaging using FAIR at 3T is feasible.
• FAIR shows promise as a reliable method for assessing regional lung perfusion.
• This technique could aid in characterizing and monitoring chronic lung diseases without radiation or contrast agent concerns.