60-S Retrogated Compressed Sensing 2D Cine of the Heart: Sharper Borders and Accurate Quantification

Real-time compressed sensing cine (CS_rt) provides reliable quantification for both ventricles but may alter image quality. The aim of this study was to assess image quality and the accuracy of left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes, ejection fraction and mass quantifications based on a retrogated segmented compressed sensing 2D cine sequence (CS_rg).

Thirty patients were enrolled. Each patient underwent the reference retrogated segmented steady-state free precession cine sequence (SSFP_ref), the real-time CS_rt cine and the segmented retrogated prototype CS_rg sequence providing the same slices. Functional parameters quantification and image quality rating were performed on SSFP_ref and CS_rg images sets. The edge sharpness, which is an estimate of the edge spread function, was assessed for the three sequences.

The mean scan time was: SSFP_ref = 485.4 ± 83.3 (SD) s (95% CI: 454.3-516.5) and CS_rg = 58.3 ± 15.1 (SD) s (95% CI: 53.7-64.2) (p < 0.0001). CS_rg subjective image quality score (median: 4; range: 2-4) was higher than the one provided by CS_rt (median: 3; range: 2-4; p = 0.0008) and not different from SSFP_ref overall quality score (median: 4; range: 2-4; p = 0.31). CS_rg provided similar LV and RV functional parameters to those assessed with SSFP_ref (p > 0.05). Edge sharpness was significantly better with CS_rg (0.083 ± 0.013 (SD) pixel^-1; 95% CI: 0.078-0.087) than with CS_rt (0.070 ± 0.011 (SD) pixel^-1; 95% CI: 0.066-0.074; p = 0.0004) and not different from the reference technique (0.075 ± 0.016 (SD) pixel^-1; 95% CI: 0.069-0.081; p = 0.0516).

CS_rg cine provides in one minute an accurate quantification of LV and RV functional parameters without compromising subjective and objective image quality.