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Author Spotlight: Optimized Lung MRI Protocol with Computationally Efficient Reconstruction Methods
Published on: September 6, 2024
Quantitative assessment of lung density and developmental patterns in preterm infants using three-dimensional
Yujie Chen1, Yan Sun1, Yu Song1
1Department of Radiology, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, No.1416, Section 1, Chenglong Road, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610066, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China.
Background:
Three-dimensional ultrashort echo time (3D-UTE) MRI enables proton-density assessment of lung parenchyma without radiation. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of 3D-UTE for quantifying lung density of preterm infants and characterize gestational-age (GA)-dependent developmental patterns.
Methods:
101 infants (1 day-24 months) were enrolled as extremely-to-very preterm (EVP, <32 weeks, n = 33), moderate-to-late preterm (MLP, 32-<37 weeks, n = 34), and full-term (FT, 37-42 weeks, n = 34). Lung protocol including 3D-UTE, 3D-GRE (gradient-echo) and T2-FSE (fast spin-echo) sequences were used. Image quality was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Lung density was quantified using UTE-derived lung-to-muscle ratios (LMRs), and group differences and age-related patterns were evaluated.
Results:
UTE-MRI provided superior visualization of lung structure with significantly higher signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios. Lung-to-muscle ratios demonstrated a consistent anterior-posterior gradient (R2 = 0.582, p < 0.001) and decreased with lower gestational age (LMR-total: FT 50.8 ± 9.7; MLP 48.7 ± 7.6; EVP 45.1 ± 7.6), with EVP significantly lower than FT (p < 0.05). Within the first year of life, age-related analyses revealed distinct developmental patterns across gestational age groups.
Conclusions:
UTE-MRI enables radiation-free quantification of lung density. UTE-MRI-derived lung-to-muscle ratios provide a radiation-free biomarker of preterm lung structural deficits and support risk-adapted follow-up.
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