Quantitative assessment of ventricular function using three-dimensional SSFP magnetic resonance angiography

✍ Scribed by Gerald F. Greil; Thomas Boettger; Sabrina Germann; Bernhard Klumpp; Christof Baltes; Sebastian Kozerke; Anja Bialkowski; Michael S. Urschitz; Stephan Miller; Ivo Wolf; Hans-Peter Meinzer; Ludger Sieverding

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 276 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.20967

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate three‐dimensional (3D), free‐breathing, steady‐state free precession (SSFP) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for volumetric assessment of ventricular function.

Materials and Methods

In 18 subjects (mean age = 21.5 years) 3D datasets of the heart and great vessels were acquired using an ECG‐triggered, free‐breathing SSFP technique with a T2‐preparation prepulse. Data were acquired during end‐systole (ES) and end‐diastole (ED) for assessment of stroke volumes (SVs). Through‐plane flow measurements of the great arteries were performed as well as 2D‐cine SSFP imaging for comparison. For image analysis of the 3D SSFP datasets a simplex mesh model was used. Papillary muscles were excluded from ventricular volumes using thresholds. Intra‐ and interobserver variability (Bland‐Altman analysis) and correlations (Pearson's coefficient) between volumetric and flow measurements were assessed.

Results

ES and ED datasets were acquired successfully in all subjects. The best correlation was observed between flow vs. 3D SSFP SV for the LV (r = 0.85, mean difference = −1.0 mL) and the RV (r = 0.89, mean difference = −2.2 mL) with high intra‐ (LV: r = 0.93; RV: r = 0.94) and interobserver (LV: r = 0.91; RV: r = 0.93) reproducibility.

Conclusion

3D SSFP datasets combined with semiautomatic segmentation algorithms allow highly accurate and reproducible assessment of left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) SVs in free‐breathing subjects. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007;26:288–295. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.