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Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine

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Open Access 01-10-2020 | Research Article

Dynamic contrast-enhanced QSM for perfusion imaging: a systematic comparison of ΔR2*- and QSM-based contrast agent concentration time curves in blood and tissue

Authors: Emelie Lind, Linda Knutsson, Freddy Ståhlberg, Ronnie Wirestam

Published in: Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine | Issue 5/2020

Abstract

Objective

In dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI), an arterial input function (AIF) is required to quantify perfusion. However, estimation of the concentration of contrast agent (CA) from magnitude MRI signal data is challenging. A reasonable alternative would be to quantify CA concentration using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), as the CA alters the magnetic susceptibility in proportion to its concentration.

Material and methods

AIFs with reasonable appearance, selected on the basis of conventional criteria related to timing, shape, and peak concentration, were registered from both ΔR2* and QSM images and mutually compared by visual inspection. Both ΔR2*- and QSM-based AIFs were used for perfusion calculations based on tissue concentration data from ΔR2*as well as QSM images.

Results

AIFs based on ΔR2* and QSM data showed very similar shapes and the estimated cerebral blood flow values and mean transit times were similar. Analysis of corresponding ΔR2* versus QSM-based concentration estimates yielded a transverse relaxivity estimate of 89 s⁻¹ mM⁻¹, for voxels identified as useful AIF candidate in ΔR2* images according to the conventional criteria.

Discussion

Interestingly, arterial concentration time curves based on ΔR2* versus QSM data, for a standard DSC-MRI experiment, were generally very similar in shape, and the relaxivity obtained in voxels representing blood was similar to tissue relaxivity obtained in previous studies.

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Title: Dynamic contrast-enhanced QSM for perfusion imaging: a systematic comparison of ΔR2*- and QSM-based contrast agent concentration time curves in blood and tissue
Authors: Emelie Lind
Linda Knutsson
Freddy Ståhlberg
Ronnie Wirestam
Publication date: 01-10-2020
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine / Issue 5/2020
Print ISSN: 0968-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1352-8661
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-020-00831-x

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Dynamic contrast-enhanced QSM for perfusion imaging: a systematic comparison of ΔR2*- and QSM-based contrast agent concentration time curves in blood and tissue

Abstract

Objective

Material and methods

Results

Discussion

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Objective

Material and methods

Results

Discussion

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