Dynamic MR mammography. Multidimensional visualization of contrast medium enhancement in virtual reality

Abstract

The purpose of this study was the development of a method for fast and efficient analysis of dynamic MR images of the female breast. The image data sets were acquired with a saturation-recovery turbo-FLASH sequence which enables the detection of the kinetics of the contrast agent concentration in the whole breast with a high temporal and spatial resolution. In addition, a morphologic 3D-FLASH data set was acquired. The dynamic image datasets were analyzed by a pharmacokinetic model which enables the representation of the relevant functional tissue information by two parameters. In order to display simultaneously morphologic and functional tissue information, we developed a multidimensional visualization system, which enables a practical and intuitive human-computer interface in virtual reality. The developed system allows the fast and efficient analysis of dynamic MR data sets. An important clinical application is the localization and definition of multiple lesions of the female breast.