Myocardial T₁-mapping at 3T using saturation-recovery: reference values, precision and comparison with MOLLI.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Myocardial T₁-mapping recently emerged as a promising quantitative method for non-invasive tissue characterization in numerous cardiomyopathies. Commonly performed with an inversion-recovery (IR) magnetization preparation at 1.5T, the application at 3T has gained due to increased quantification precision. Alternatively, saturation-recovery (SR) T₁-mapping has recently been introduced at 1.5T for improved accuracy. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the robustness and precision of SR T₁-mapping at 3T and to establish accurate reference values for native T₁-times and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) of healthy myocardium.

Methods

Balanced Steady-State Free-Precession (bSSFP) Saturation-Pulse Prepared Heart-rate independent Inversion-REcovery (SAPPHIRE) and Saturation-recovery Single-SHot Acquisition (SASHA) T₁-mapping were compared with the Modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequence at 3T. Accuracy and precision were studied in phantom. Native and post-contrast T₁-times and regional ECV were determined in 20 healthy subjects (10 men, 27?±?5 years). Subjective image quality, susceptibility artifact rating, in-vivo precision and reproducibility were analyzed.

Results

SR T₁-mapping showed <4 % deviation from the spin-echo reference in phantom in the range of T₁?=?100-2300 ms. The average quality and artifact scores of the T₁-mapping methods were: MOLLI:3.4/3.6, SAPPHIRE:3.1/3.4, SASHA:2.9/3.2; (1: poor - 4: excellent/1: strong - 4: none). SAPPHIRE and SASHA yielded significantly higher T₁-times (SAPPHIRE: 1578?±?42 ms, SASHA: 1523?±?46 ms), in-vivo T₁-time variation (SAPPHIRE: 60.1?±?8.7 ms, SASHA: 70.0?±?9.3 ms) and lower ECV-values (SAPPHIRE: 0.20?±?0.02, SASHA: 0.21?±?0.03) compared with MOLLI (T₁: 1181?±?47 ms, ECV: 0.26?±?0.03, Precision: 53.7?±?8.1 ms). No significant difference was found in the inter-subject variability of T₁-times or ECV-values (T₁: p?=?0.90, ECV: p?=?0.78), the observer agreement (inter: p?>?0.19; intra: p?>?0.09) or consistency (inter: p?>?0.07; intra: p?>?0.17) between the three methods.

Conclusions

Saturation-recovery T₁-mapping at 3T yields higher accuracy, comparable inter-subject, inter- and intra-observer variability and less than 30 % precision-loss compared to MOLLI.

SUBMITTER: Weingartner S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5114738 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature