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FAIR true‐FISP perfusion imaging of the kidneys
Author(s) -
Martirosian Petros,
Klose Uwe,
Mader Irina,
Schick Fritz
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.10709
Subject(s) - perfusion , nuclear magnetic resonance , steady state free precession imaging , precession , magnetic resonance imaging , computer science , physics , radiology , medicine , astronomy
Most arterial spin labeling (ASL) techniques apply echoplanar imaging (EPI) because this strategy provides relatively high SNR in short measuring times. Unfortunately, those techniques are very susceptible to static magnetic field inhomogeneities and perfusion signals from organs with fast transverse relaxation might decrease due to the exchange of water molecules in capillaries and organ tissue combined with relatively long echo times of EPI sequences. To overcome these problems a novel imaging technique, FAIR True‐FISP, was developed. It combines a FAIR (flow‐sensitive alternating inversion recovery) perfusion preparation and a true fast imaging with steady precession (True‐FISP) data acquisition strategy. True‐FISP was chosen since this sequence type does not show the mentioned disadvantages of EPI, but provides a similar SNR per measuring time. An important problem of this approach is that True‐FISP sequences usually work in a steady state which is independent of a previous preparation of magnetization. For this reason a sequence structure had to be developed which keeps the advantages of True‐FISP and makes the signal intensity sensitive to the FAIR preparation. Breathhold and nonbreathhold examinations of kidneys are presented and possible strategies to quantitative flow measurements are reported. It is shown that correction of spatially inhomogeneous receiver coil characteristics is easily feasible and leads to clinically valuable perfusion examinations of kidneys without application of potentially nephrotoxic contrast media. Magn Reson Med 51:353–361, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.