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Simultaneous whole-liver water T 1 and T 2 mapping with isotropic resolution during free-breathing
Jonathan Stelter1, Kilian Weiss2, Lisa Steinhelfer1
1Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
NMR in Biomedicine
|August 5, 2024
Summary
This study introduces a new MRI technique for accurate, free-breathing liver mapping of water and fat. This method aids in characterizing liver diseases with high resolution and repeatability.
Area of Science:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Medical Physics
- Radiology
Background:
- Accurate characterization of diffuse and oncological liver diseases requires precise quantification of tissue properties.
- Current MRI techniques for liver mapping often face challenges with motion artifacts and long acquisition times, limiting their clinical utility.
- Simultaneous mapping of water and fat content is crucial for comprehensive liver assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel, free-breathing, isotropic resolution MRI method for simultaneous water-specific T1 (T1) and T2 (T2) mapping of the whole liver.
- To enable accurate characterization of diffuse and oncological liver diseases through advanced data acquisition, motion-resolved reconstruction, and dictionary-matching parameter estimation.
Main Methods:
- A free-breathing, radial stack-of-stars trajectory MRI sequence with magnetization preparation and two-echo gradient echo readout was employed.
- Self-navigation and regularized reconstruction techniques were utilized to address motion artifacts during free breathing.
- Bloch simulations optimized sequence timing for T1 insensitivity, corrected for relaxation-induced blurring, and enabled T1 and T2 mapping using a dictionary-based approach.
Main Results:
- The proposed method demonstrated good T1 insensitivity and accurate T1 and T2 quantification, with excellent agreement to reference methods in phantom studies.
- Co-registered T1 and T2 maps exhibited good repeatability and were robustly acquired in volunteers and patients with abdominal pathologies.
- Simulations confirmed the method's ability to accurately measure T1 and T2 values.
Conclusions:
- The developed MRI technique enables accurate, whole-liver T1 and T2 quantification at isotropic resolution within a 6-minute free-breathing acquisition.
- This method holds significant potential for improved characterization of diffuse and oncological liver diseases.
- The approach offers a robust and repeatable solution for liver mapping in a clinical setting.
