MR fingerprinting using the quick echo splitting NMR imaging technique.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to develop a quantitative method for the relaxation properties with a reduced radio frequency (RF) power deposition by combining magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) technique with quick echo splitting NMR imaging technique (QUEST).

Methods: A QUEST-based MRF sequence was implemented to acquire high-order echoes by increasing the gaps between RF pulses. Bloch simulations were used to calculate a dictionary containing the range of physically plausible signal evolutions using a range of T and T values based on the pulse sequence.

Fat deposition in dilated cardiomyopathy assessed by CMR.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the prevalence of fat deposition in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) by fat-water separation imaging. An auxiliary aim was to determine the relationship between left ventricular (LV) fat deposition and characteristic myocardial fibrosis, as well as cardiac functional parameters.

Background: Idiopathic DCM remains the most common cause of heart failure in young people referred for cardiac transplantation; little is known about the clinical value of fat deposition in DCM.

3.0T whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography performed with 32-channel cardiac coils: a single-center experience.

Background: Whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a promising method for noninvasive, radiation-free detection and exclusion of obstructive coronary artery disease; however, the required imaging time and robustness of the technique are not yet satisfactory. We evaluated the value of whole-heart coronary MRA at 3.0T using a 32-channel cardiac coil, which reduces image-acquisition times and hence allows to increase the clinical throughput.

Using a 2D multibreath-hold susceptibility-weighted imaging to visualize intratumoral hemorrhage of hepatocellular carcinoma at 3T MRI: correlation with pathology.

Purpose: To assess the value of 2D multibreath-hold susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) for visualizing intratumoral hemorrhage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and correlate with pathological results.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-eight patients with 65 HCCs underwent T1-, T2-, T2-weighted imaging and SWI. The ability to detect intratumoral hemorrhage for each imaging technique was evaluated.

Accuracy of MRI to identify the coronary artery plaque: a comparative study with intravascular ultrasound.

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of black-blood coronary arterial wall MRI to identify the coronary artery plaque, using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as the golden standard.

Materials And Methods: Nineteen consecutive patients underwent IVUS and coronary artery wall MRI. Cross-sectional images were acquired on the lesion of coronary artery from the ostium to the middle segment continuously.

Improving detection of siderotic nodules in cirrhotic liver with a multi-breath-hold susceptibility-weighted imaging technique.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of abdominal susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in the detection of siderotic nodules in cirrhotic liver.

Materials And Methods: Forty patients with pathologically identified liver cirrhosis and 40 age/sex-matched normal controls underwent T1-, T2-, T2*-weighted imaging and SWI at 3T. Two radiologists prospectively analyzed all magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies.

Use of coronary anatomy and late enhancement information both derived from contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary MRA at 3 T for the assessment of ischemic left ventricular dysfunction.

Recognizing the etiology of patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) is essential for the risk stratification and treatment selection. We report the case of a 59-year-old man suspected of ischemic LVD with non acute symptoms studied with whole-heart cardiac magnetic resonance imaging including noninvasive coronary angiography and in whom we obtained comprehensive information of both coronary artery stenosis and myocardial tissue damage.

The relative atrial volume ratio and late gadolinium enhancement provide additive information to differentiate constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy.

Background: The differentiation of constrictive pericarditis (CP) from restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is often difficult. This study sought to determine the clinical utility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) for differentiating both these disorders.

Methods: Twenty-three patients with surgically documented CP, 22 patients with RCM and 25 normal subjects were included in the study.

Contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary MRA at 3.0T for the evaluation of cardiac venous anatomy.

This study was designed to evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary MRA (CMRA) at 3.0T in depicting the cardiac venous anatomy. In cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), left ventricular (LV) pacing is achieved by positioning the LV lead in one of the tributaries of the coronary sinus (CS).

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of isolated left ventricular noncompaction in a Chinese adult Han population.

To analyze cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) characteristics in patients with isolated left ventricular noncompaction (IVNC) and assess its value in the diagnosis of IVNC in a Chinese adult Han population. We collected a consecutive series of 30 patients with IVNC from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2008. During the same period, we prospectively included patients drawn from groups given a potential differential diagnosis for IVNC.

Contrast-kinetics-resolved whole-heart coronary MRA using 3DPR.

Slow contrast infusion was recently proposed for contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary MR angiography. Current protocols use Cartesian k-space sampling with empiric acquisition delays, potentially resulting in suboptimal coronary artery delineation and image artifacts if there is a timing error. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using time-resolved three-dimensional projection reconstruction for whole-heart coronary MR angiography.

Non-contrast-enhanced four-dimensional (4D) intracranial MR angiography: a feasibility study.

T(1)-shortening contrast agents have been widely used in time-resolved magnetic resonance angiography. To match imaging data acquisition with the short time period of the first pass of contrast agent, temporal resolution and/or spatial resolution have to be compromised in many cases. In this study, a novel non-contrast-enhanced technique was developed for time-resolved magnetic resonance angiography.

Three-dimensional phase-sensitive inversion-recovery turbo FLASH sequence for the evaluation of left ventricular myocardial scar.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new free-breathing 3D phase-sensitive inversion-recovery (PSIR) turbo FLASH pulse sequence for the detection of left ventricular myocardial scar.

Subjects And Methods: Patients with suspected myocardial scar were examined on a 1.5-T MR scanner for myocardial late enhancement after the administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine using a segmented 2D PSIR turbo FLASH sequence followed by a navigator-gated 3D PSIR turbo FLASH sequence.

Three-dimensional T2-weighted MRI of the human femoral arterial vessel wall at 3.0 Tesla.

Objectives: To evaluate the potential use of a novel 3D turbo spin-echo (TSE) T2-weighted (T2w) technique for assessing the vessel wall in the superficial femoral artery at 3.0 T.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging can be used for the noninvasive assessment of atherosclerotic plaque burden in the peripheral circulation.

Contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography at 3.0-T: a comparative study with X-ray angiography in a single center.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of 3.0-T contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Background: A slow-infusion, contrast-enhanced whole-heart CMRA approach has recently been developed at 3.

A respiratory self-gating technique with 3D-translation compensation for free-breathing whole-heart coronary MRA.

Respiratory motion remains a major challenge for robust coronary MR angiography (MRA). Diaphragmatic navigator (NAV) suffers from indirect measurement of heart position. Respiratory self-gating (RSG) approaches improve motion detection only in the head-feet direction, leaving motion in the other two dimensions unaccounted for.

Cardiac image modeling tool for quantitative analysis of global and regional cardiac wall motion.

Objective: To evaluate the Cardiac Image Modeling (CIM 4.6; University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand) tool's ability to assess cardiac function via quantitative calculations of global and regional ejection fraction (EF) from magnetic resonance imaging in comparison with a current method of global analysis with Argus (Siemens Medical Solutions) and regional analysis with visual analysis.

Background: Global cardiac function is commonly assessed quantitatively by post processing tools that calculate global EF.

Renal transplant: nonenhanced renal MR angiography with magnetization-prepared steady-state free precession.

The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant study and waived informed consent. The purpose was to investigate nonenhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography with steady-state free precession (SSFP) with inversion recovery for assessing renal arteries in patients with renal transplants. Thirteen recipients of renal transplants underwent SSFP MR angiography before contrast material-enhanced MR angiography.

Pulmonary vein imaging with unenhanced three-dimensional balanced steady-state free precession MR angiography: initial clinical evaluation.

Purpose: To determine whether unenhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography performed with a three-dimensional (3D) segmented steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence would be an alternative to contrast material-enhanced MR angiography for evaluating pulmonary veins (PVs) prior to and following radiofrequency (RF) ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Materials And Methods: MR angiographic examinations of PVs, performed in 20 patients (nine men, 11 women; mean age, 56.4 years +/- 12.

A dual-projection respiratory self-gating technique for whole-heart coronary MRA.

Purpose: To investigate the accuracy of a dual-projection respiratory self-gating (DP-RSG) technique in dynamic heart position measurement and its feasibility for free-breathing whole-heart coronary MR angiography (MRA).

Materials And Methods: A DP-RSG method is proposed to enable accurate direct measurement of heart position by acquiring two whole-heart projections. On 14 volunteers we quantitatively evaluated the efficacy of DP-RSG by comparison with diaphragmatic navigator (NAV) and single-projection-based respiratory self-gating (SP-RSG) methods.

Contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography at 3.0 T: comparison with steady-state free precession technique at 1.5 T.

Objectives: To compare contrast-enhanced whole-heart coronary MR angiography (MRA) at 3.0 T and noncontrast steady-state free precession coronary MRA at 1.5 T in the same volunteers.

Unenhanced MR angiography of the thoracic aorta: initial clinical evaluation.

Objective: In patients with difficult i.v. access or renal insufficiency, or in those who are pregnant, we hypothesized than an unenhanced 3D segmented steady-state free precession (SSFP) MR angiography (MRA) technique would be an alternative to contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) for the evaluation of vasculature.