(3)He-MRI in follow-up of lung transplant recipients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible contribution of (3)He-MRI to detect obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) in the follow-up of lung transplant recipients. Nine single- and double-lung transplanted patients were studied by an initial and a follow-up (3)He-MRI study. Images were evaluated subjectively by estimation of ventilation defect area and quantitatively by individually adapted threshold segmentation and subsequent calculation of ventilated lung volume.

Distribution of ventilation in lung transplant recipients: evaluation by dynamic 3He-MRI with lung motion correction.

Rationale And Objectives: The ability of motion corrected dynamic 3He-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to discriminate distributional patterns of inhaled hyperpolarized 3He between different groups of lung transplant recipients was evaluated.

Methods: An ultrafast low-angle shot 2D sequence (temporal resolution 128 ms) was used for ventilation 3He-MRI of 11 single and 6 double lung transplant recipients. After digital motion correction, signal kinetics were evaluated in a tracheal and 7 pulmonary regions of interest.