Dirk Ernst Johannes Cleppien1, Georg Horstick2, Stefan Weber1, Wolfgang Gnther Schreiber1
1Section of Medical Physics, Department of Radiology, Mainz University Clinical School, Mainz, Germany; 2Department of Cardiology, Mainz University Clinical School, Mainz, Germany
Quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) using dynamic contrast enhanced MRI is based on the relationship between signal intensity and concentration of administered contrast agent. In general, in MBF measurements this relationship is assumed to be linear, but in reality its more complex. Therefore, residual contrast agent from previous injections remaining in the blood also influences this relationship. In this study it is shown, that the quantification of MBF based on concentration time-courses produces more reliable values than that based on signal time-courses. In the latter case, the MBF is significantly underestimated and also notably influenced by residual contrast agent.
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