Abstract
ObjectivesTo investigate the efficacy of an in-line non-rigid motion-compensated reconstruction (NRC) in an image-navigated high-resolution three-dimensional late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequence with Dixon water–fat separation, in a clinical setting.MethodsForty-seven consecutive patients were enrolled prospectively and examined with 1.5 T MRI. NRC reconstructions were compared to translational motion-compensated reconstructions (TC) of the same datasets in overall and different sub-category image quality scores, diagnostic confidence, contrast ratios, LGE pattern, and semiautomatic LGE quantification.ResultsNRC outperformed TC in all image quality scores (p < 0.001 to 0.016; e.g., overall image quality 5/5 points vs. 4/5). Overall image quality was downgraded in only 23% of NRC datasets vs. 53% of TC datasets due to residual respiratory motion. In both reconstructions, LGE was rated as ischemic in 11 patients and non-ischemic in 10 patients, while it was absent in 26 patients. NRC delivered significantly higher LGE-to-myocardium and blood-to-myocardium contrast ratios (median 6.33 vs. 5.96, p < 0.001 and 4.88 vs. 4.66, p < 0.001, respectively). Automatically detected LGE mass was significantly lower in the NRC reconstruction (p < 0.001). Diagnostic confidence was identical in all cases, with high confidence in 89% and probable in 11% datasets for both reconstructions. No case was rated as inconclusive.ConclusionsThe in-line implementation of a non-rigid motion-compensated reconstruction framework improved image quality in image-navigated free-breathing, isotropic high-resolution 3D LGE imaging with undersampled spiral-like Cartesian sampling and Dixon water–fat separation compared to translational motion correction of the same datasets. The sharper depictions of LGE may lead to more accurate measures of LGE mass.Key Points• 3D LGE imaging provides high-resolution detection of myocardial scarring.• Non-rigid motion correction provides better image quality in cardiac MRI.• Non-rigid motion correction may lead to more accurate measures of LGE mass.
Highlights
In cardiac MRI (CMR), late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is the standard method for evaluating necrosis and fibrosis after myocardial infarction, as well as for the assessment of several types of non-ischemic cardiomyopathies [1]
Visual grading was significantly better in non-rigid motion-compensated reconstruction (NRC) for overall and chest wall image quality, detection of anatomical details, and border sharpness between myocardium and blood pool (LV and RV), and LGE and epicardial fat (p < 0.05 in all cases)
It was especially effective in the “anatomical details” and “border sharpness myocardium-LGE” categories, with improvement in 76% and 88% of datasets rated below 5 points
Summary
In cardiac MRI (CMR), late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is the standard method for evaluating necrosis and fibrosis after myocardial infarction, as well as for the assessment of several types of non-ischemic cardiomyopathies [1]. A much higher resolution and extended myocardial coverage is delivered by 3D imaging, which facilitates the assessment of scar tissue in thinner myocardial structures such as the atria or the right ventricle [4,5,6]. This approach enables post-acquisition reformatting in any desired plane, which simplifies sequence planning [7]. To prevent prolonged breath-holds, diaphragmatic navigatorbased respiratory motion correction and gating have been developed This strategy has the drawback of long and unpredictable scan times and may require the use of a motion model [8, 9]. Such an approach would lead to shorter and more predictable scan times compared to conventional respiratory motion tracking techniques [8, 9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callDisclaimer: 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.
