Comparison of Two Fast MRI Methods for Perfusion Imaging of the Heart

Comparison of Two Fast MRI Methods for Perfusion Imaging of the Heart

P. E. Sijens, D. D. Lubbers

Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands

Correspondence to:

P. E. Sijens

Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ, Groningen,

The Netherlands

Tel: +31 50 361 3534; Fax: +31 50 361 1798; E-mail: p.e.sijens@rad.umcg.nl

Key words: Cardiovascular MR, myocardial perfusion, parallel imaging.

Summary

Time-adaptive sensitivity encoding (TSENSE) and gen-

eralized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition

(GRAPPA) were applied to a gradient-echo sequence

used for first-pass myocardial perfusion imaging of 12

patients with coronary artery disease. The two parallel

imaging methods were compared in terms of signal-to-

noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and

image artefacts. Image acquisition was started during the

administration of a Gd-contrast bolus (0.1 mmoL/kg)

followed by a 20-mL saline flush (3 mL/s), and the next

perfusion was started at least 15 min thereafter using an

identical bolus. The order of perfusion sequences was

inverted in every other patient. Both acquisitions had an

acceleration rate of 2, and were performed during breath-

holding. The SNR, CNR and image quality of the

GRAPPA images were significantly better than were

those of the TSENSE images. An exception was the lower

CNR of GRAPPA when applied after the second bolus.

Differences between subjects were larger with GRAPPA

perfusion imaging than with TSENSE. The SNR and

CNR also varied relatively much between the GRAPPA

images, indicating that the diagnostic value of TSENSE

may be superior after all.

Imaging Decisions MRI, Volume 13, Issue 2 (p 43-48)

Nov 4 2009