Aortic 4D flow: Quantification of signal-to-noise ratio as a function of field strength and contrast enhancement for 1.5T, 3T, and 7T

Purpose To investigate for the first time the feasibility of aortic four‐dimensional (4D) flow at 7T, both contrast enhanced (CE) and non‐CE. To quantify the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) in aortic 4D flow as a function of field strength and CE with gadobenate dimeglumine (MultiHance). Methods Six hea...

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Published in:Magnetic resonance in medicine 2015-05, Vol.73 (5), p.1864-1871
Main Authors: Hess, Aaron T., Bissell, Malenka M., Ntusi, Ntobeko A.B., Lewis, Andrew J.M., Tunnicliffe, Elizabeth M., Greiser, Andreas, Stalder, Aurelien F., Francis, Jane M., Myerson, Saul G., Neubauer, Stefan, Robson, Matthew D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
4D flow
Adult
aorta
Aorta - physiology
Aortography - methods
blood flow
Blood Flow Velocity - physiology
Contrast Media
Feasibility Studies
Humans
Image Enhancement - methods
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods
Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods
Magnetic Resonance Angiography - methods
Male
Meglumine - analogs & derivatives
Middle Aged
Organometallic Compounds
Reference Values
Signal-To-Noise Ratio
ultrahigh field
Young Adult
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Summary:Purpose To investigate for the first time the feasibility of aortic four‐dimensional (4D) flow at 7T, both contrast enhanced (CE) and non‐CE. To quantify the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) in aortic 4D flow as a function of field strength and CE with gadobenate dimeglumine (MultiHance). Methods Six healthy male volunteers were scanned at 1.5T, 3T, and 7T with both non‐CE and CE acquisitions. Temporal SNR was calculated. Flip angle optimization for CE 4D flow was carried out using Bloch simulations that were validated against in vivo measurements. Results The 7T provided 2.2 times the SNR of 3T while 3T provided 1.7 times the SNR of 1.5T in non‐CE acquisitions in the descending aorta. The SNR gains achieved by CE were 1.8‐fold at 1.5T, 1.7‐fold at 3T, and 1.4‐fold at 7T, respectively. Conclusion The 7T provides a new tool to explore aortic 4D flow, yielding higher SNR that can be used to push the boundaries of acceleration and resolution. Field strength and contrast enhancement at all fields provide significant improvements in SNR. Magn Reson Med 73:1864–1871, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN:0740-3194
1522-2594
DOI:10.1002/mrm.25317