Abstract

It has become increasingly important to quantitatively estimate tissue physiological parameters such as perfusion, capillary permeability, and the volume of extravascular-extracellular space (EES) using T(1)-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). A linear equation was derived by integrating the differential equation describing the kinetic behavior of contrast agent (CA) in tissue, from which K(1) (rate constant for the transfer of CA from plasma to EES), k(2) (rate constant for the transfer from EES to plasma), and V(p) (plasma volume) can be easily obtained by the linear least-squares (LLSQ) method. The usefulness of this method was investigated by means of computer simulations, in comparison with the nonlinear least-squares (NLSQ) method. The new method calculated the above parameters faster than the NLSQ method by a factor of approximately 6, and estimated them more accurately than the NLSQ method at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of < approximately 10. This method will be useful for generating functional images of K(1), k(2), and V(p) from DCE-MRI data.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.