Progression of emphysema in a 12-month hyperpolarized 3He-MRI study: lacunarity analysis provided a more sensitive measure than standard ADC analysis.

Rationale And Objectives: Inhaled hyperpolarized (3)He magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been used to measure alveolar size in patients with emphysema. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that (3)He MR images could be used to develop a biomarker of emphysema progression.

Materials And Methods: Twelve healthy controls and 18 patients with emphysema (eight current smokers, 10 ex-smokers) were imaged at baseline and 6 and 12 months.

Validity of apparent diffusion coefficient hyperpolarized 3He-MRI using MSCT and pulmonary function tests as references.

Purpose: To compare apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements from hyperpolarized (HP) helium ((3)He)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with quantitative data from multislice Computed Tomography (CT) (MSCT) of the whole lungs and pulmonary function tests (PFT).

Materials And Methods: Twenty-seven subjects, 22 with established emphysema and 5 with preclinical emphysema defined by PFT criteria, were examined with HP (3)He-MRI and MSCT. Mean age was 55 (+/-12) years, 18 female and 9 male.

Hyperpolarized 3He apparent diffusion coefficient MRI of the lung: reproducibility and volume dependency in healthy volunteers and patients with emphysema.

Purpose: To measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of hyperpolarized (HP) (3)He gas using diffusion weighted MRI in healthy volunteers and patients with emphysema and examine the reproducibility and volume dependency.

Materials And Methods: A total of eight healthy volunteers and 16 patients with emphysema were examined after inhalation of HP (3)He gas mixed with nitrogen (N(2)) during breathhold starting from functional residual capacity (FRC) in supine position. Coronal diffusion-sensitized MR images were acquired.