Longitudinal Lung Function Assessment of Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Using H and Xe Lung MRI.

Background: Microvascular abnormalities and impaired gas transfer have been observed in patients with COVID-19. The progression of pulmonary changes in these patients remains unclear.

Research Question: Do patients hospitalized with COVID-19 without evidence of architectural distortion on structural imaging exhibit longitudinal improvements in lung function measured by using H and Xe MRI between 6 and 52 weeks following hospitalization?

Study Design And Methods: Patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia underwent a pulmonary H and Xe MRI protocol at 6, 12, 25, and 51 weeks following hospital admission in a prospective cohort study between November 2020 and February 2022.

Image Phenotyping of Preterm-Born Children Using Hyperpolarized Xe Lung Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Multiple-Breath Washout.

Preterm birth is associated with low lung function in childhood, but little is known about the lung microstructure in childhood. We assessed the differential associations between the historical diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and current lung function phenotypes on lung ventilation and microstructure in preterm-born children using hyperpolarized Xe ventilation and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and multiple-breath washout (MBW). Data were available from 63 children (aged 9-13 yr), including 44 born preterm (⩽34 weeks' gestation) and 19 term-born control subjects (⩾37 weeks' gestation).

Xenon ventilation MRI in difficult asthma: initial experience in a clinical setting.

Background: Hyperpolarised gas magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to assess ventilation patterns. Previous studies have shown the image-derived metric of ventilation defect per cent (VDP) to correlate with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV)/forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV in asthma.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the utility of hyperpolarised xenon-129 (Xe) ventilation MRI in clinical care and examine its relationship with spirometry and other clinical metrics in people seen in a severe asthma service.

Quantification of pulmonary perfusion in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with first pass dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion MRI.

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease of lung scarring. Many patients later develop raised pulmonary vascular pressures, sometimes disproportionate to the interstitial disease. Previous therapeutic approaches that have targeted pulmonary vascular changes have not demonstrated clinical efficacy, and quantitative assessment of regional pulmonary vascular involvement using perfusion imaging may provide a biomarker for further therapeutic insights.

The effect of acute maximal exercise on the regional distribution of ventilation using ventilation MRI in CF.

Background: The importance of exercise in the management of people with CF is well recognised, yet the effect of exercise on lung function is not well understood. FEV is insensitive to the detection of small changes in lung function. Ventilation MRI and LCI are both more sensitive to mild lung disease than FEV and may be better suited to assess the effects of exercise.

The assessment of short- and long-term changes in lung function in cystic fibrosis using Xe MRI.

Introduction: Xenon-129 (Xe) ventilation magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sensitive to detect early cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease and response to treatment. Xe-MRI could play a significant role in clinical trials and patient management. Here we present data on the repeatability of imaging measurements and their sensitivity to longitudinal change.