3D Sequences Used for DCE-MRI Can Exhibit Initial Instabilities That Will Affect T1 Quantification

Michael Germuska¹, James A. d'Arcy¹, Keiko Miyazaki¹, Matthew R. Orton¹, Geoffrey S. Payne¹, Martin O. Leach¹, David J. Collins¹

Modelling pharmacokinetic behaviour with DCE-MRI experiments requires precise and accurate T1 estimates. Any short-term instability of the dynamic data would adversely affect T1 estimates and the resulting pharmacokinetic model accuracy. Phantom experiments were performed to assess the accuracy and short-term stability of a number of sequences. We found that changes in acquisition parameters had a significant effect on the short-term stability of dynamic data. In particular, we observed a significant initial signal drift for certain gradient echo sequences. We feel it is essential to perform this level of quality assurance in order to have the required confidence in DCE-MRI data.