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Clinical Neuroradiology
Published in: Clinical Neuroradiology 2/2015

01-10-2015 | Review Article

Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping: Concepts and Applications

Authors: J. R. Reichenbach, F. Schweser, B. Serres, A. Deistung

Published in: Clinical Neuroradiology | Special Issue 2/2015

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Abstract

Purpose

To review the fundamental principles of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), and to discuss recent clinical developments.

Methods

SWI is a magnetic resonance imaging method that takes advantage of magnitude signal loss and phase information to reveal anatomic and physiologic information about tissue and venous vasculature. The method enhances image contrast qualitatively, relying on phase shifts due to differences in magnetic susceptibility between tissues. QSM, extending SWI in an elegant way, is a new sophisticated postprocessing technique that numerically solves the inverse source-effect problem to derive local tissue magnetic susceptibility (source) from the measured magnetic field distribution (effect) as it is reflected in the phase images of gradient-echo sequences.

Results

SWI has meanwhile been established in numerous clinical as well as basic biomedical applications due to its ability to highlight tissue structures and compounds that are difficult to detect by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including iron, calcifications, small veins, blood, and bones. The field of QSM has also progressed rapidly, both in terms of optimizing the post-processing strategies and algorithms as well as in gaining ground for new clinical applications that take advantage of its quantitative nature and improved specificity to identify the magnetic signature of lesions.

Conclusions

Though magnetic susceptibility may be a major nuisance producing image artifacts in MRI, recent work has transformed it into a useful source of image contrast. Both SWI and QSM are gaining increasing acceptance in clinical practice. In particular, QSM provides new insights into tissue composition and organization due to its more direct relation to the actual physical tissue magnetic properties.
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Metadata
Title
Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping: Concepts and Applications
Authors
J. R. Reichenbach
F. Schweser
B. Serres
A. Deistung
Publication date
01-10-2015
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Clinical Neuroradiology / Issue Special Issue 2/2015
Print ISSN: 1869-1439
Electronic ISSN: 1869-1447
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-015-0432-9

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