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3 He MRI in healthy volunteers: preliminary correlation with smoking history and lung volumes
Author(s) -
Guenther Daniela,
Eberle Balthasar,
Hast Jochem,
Lill Jana,
Markstaller Klaus,
Puderbach Michael,
Schreiber Wolfgang G.,
Hanisch Gorden,
Heussel Claus P.,
Surkau Reinhard,
Grossmann Tino,
Weiler Norbert,
Thelen Manfred,
Kauczor HansUlrich
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
nmr in biomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.278
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1099-1492
pISSN - 0952-3480
DOI - 10.1002/1099-1492(200006)13:4<182::aid-nbm642>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - medicine , nuclear medicine , lung volumes , lung , radiology
MRI with hyperpolarized helium‐3 ( 3 He) provides high‐resolution imaging of ventilated airspaces. The first aim of this 3 He‐study was to compare observations of localized signal defects in healthy smokers and non‐smokers. A second aim was to describe relationships between parameters of lung function, volume of inspired 3 He and signal‐to‐noise ratio. With Ethics Committee approval and informed consent, 12 healthy volunteers (seven smokers and five non‐smokers) were studied. Imaging was performed in a 1.5 T scanner using a two‐dimensional FLASH sequence at 30V transmitter amplitude ( TR / TE /α = 11 ms/4.2 ms/<10°). Known amounts of 3 He were inhaled from a microprocessor‐controlled delivery device and imaged during single breath‐holds. Images were evaluated visually, and scored using a prospectively defined ‘defect‐index’. Signal‐to‐noise ratio of the images were correlated with localization, 3 He volumes and static lung volumes. Due to poor image quality studies of two smokers were not eligible for the evaluation. Smokers differed from non‐smokers in total number and size of defects: the ‘defect‐index’ of smokers ranged between 0.8 and 6.0 (median = 1.1), that of non‐smokers between 0.1 and 0.8 (median = 0.4). Intraindividually, an anteroposterior gradient of signal‐to‐noise ratio was apparent. Signal‐to‐noise ratio correlated with the estimated amount of hyperpolarization administered ( r = 0.77), but not with static lung volumes. We conclude that 3 He MRI is a sensitive measure to detect regional abnormalities in the distribution of ventilation in clinically healthy persons with normal pulmonary function tests. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.