Abstract #1298

Fischer A, Pracht E, Jakob P

The standard method for assessing pulmonary perfusion images is contrast-enhanced MRI, which involves the injection of a contrast-agent. In this abstract, we present a non-invasive functional imaging sequence which requires no injections and provides a quantification of pulmonary perfusion on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Due to the initial saturation of the desired slice, an excellent suppression of stationary tissue is achievable. Our perfusion values obtained during breathhold at end expiration in the lung parenchyma varied from 1.0 to 2.5 ml/min/ml, a physiologically reasonable range. Since a perfusion-weighted image can be acquired in seconds this method shows promise for future clinical application