Effect of physiological heart rate variability on quantitative T2 measurement with ECG-gated Fast Spin Echo (FSE) sequence and its retrospective correction.

Object: Quantitative T2 measurement is applied in cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis and follow-up of myocardial pathologies. Standard Electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated fast spin echo pulse sequences can be used clinically for T2 assessment, with multiple breath-holds. However, heart rate is subject to physiological variability, which causes repetition time variations and affects the recovery of longitudinal magnetization between TR periods.