Bi-ventricular assessment with cardiovascular magnetic resonance at 5 Tesla: A pilot study

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at ultra-high fields (UHF) such as 7T has encountered many challenges such as faster T $$ relaxation, stronger B₀ and B₁₊ field inhomogeneities and additional safety concerns due to increased specific absorption rate (SAR) and peripheral nervous stimulation (PNS). Recently, a new line of 5T whole body MRI system has become available, and this study aims at evaluating the performance and benefits of this new UHF system for CMR imaging.

Gradient echo (GRE) CINE imaging was performed on healthy volunteers at both 5 and 3T, and was compared to balanced steady-state-free-procession (bSSFP) CINE imaging at 3T as reference. Higher spatial resolution GRE CINE scans were additionally performed at 5T. All scans at both fields were performed with ECG-gating and breath-holding. Image quality was blindly evaluated by two radiologists, and the cardiac functional parameters (e.g., EDV/ESV/mass/EF) of the left and right ventricles were measured for statistical analyses using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Bland-Altman analysis.

Compared to 3T GRE CINE imaging, 5T GRE CINE imaging achieved comparable or improved image quality with significantly superior SNR and CNR, and it has also demonstrated excellent capability for high resolution (1.0 × 1.0 × 6.0 mm³) imaging. Functional assessments from 5T GRE CINE images were highly similar with the 3T bSSFP CINE reference.

This pilot study has presented the initial evaluation of CMR CINE imaging at 5T UHF, which yielded superior image quality and accurate functional quantification when compared to 3T counterparts. Along with reliable ECG gating, the new 5T UHF system has the potential to achieve well-balanced performance for CMR applications.