Simultaneous measurement of T 2 and apparent diffusion coefficient (T 2 +ADC) in the heart with motion‐compensated spin echo diffusion‐weighted imaging

Purpose To evaluate a technique for simultaneous quantitative T 2 and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping in the heart (T 2 +ADC) using spin echo (SE) diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI). Theory and Methods T 2 maps from T 2 +ADC were compared with single‐echo SE in phantoms and with T 2 ‐prepared (T 2 ‐prep) balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) in healthy volunteers. ADC maps from T 2 +ADC were compared with conventional DWI in phantoms and in vivo. T 2 +ADC was also demonstrated in a patient with acute myocardial infarction (MI). Results Phantom T 2 values from T 2 +ADC were closer to a single‐echo SE reference than T 2 ‐prep bSSFP (–2.3 ± 6.0% vs 22.2 ± 16.3%; P  < 0.01), and ADC values were in excellent agreement with DWI (0.28 ± 0.4%). In volunteers, myocardial T 2 values from T 2 +ADC were significantly shorter than T 2 ‐prep bSSFP (35.8 ± 3.1 vs 46.8 ± 3.8 ms; P  < 0.01); myocardial ADC was not significantly (N.S.) different between T 2 +ADC and conventional motion‐compensated DWI (1.39 ± 0.18 vs 1.38 ± 0.18 mm 2 /ms; P  = N.S.). In the patient, T 2 and ADC were both significantly elevated in the infarct compared with remote myocardium (T 2 : 40.4 ± 7.6 vs 56.8 ± 22.0; P  < 0.01; ADC: 1.47 ± 0.59 vs 1.65 ± 0.65 mm 2 /ms; P  < 0.01). Conclusion T 2 +ADC generated coregistered, free‐breathing T 2 and ADC maps in healthy volunteers and a patient with acute MI with no cost in accuracy, precision, or scan time compared with DWI. Magn Reson Med 79:654–662, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.