Abstract #4253

Asymmetry of Obturator Muscle Perfusion During Prostate MRI: Implications for the Reliability of Pharmacokinetic Analysis

Y Pang^1,2, B Turkbey², M Bernardo^2,3, D Thomasson⁴, P Choyke²

¹Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH, USA; ²Molecular Imaging Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA; ³SAIC-Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA; ⁴Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

In quantitative analysis of prostate DCE-MRI data, accurate measurement of an AIF can be compromised by some artifacts. Recently, a reference region model has been proposed, where an AIF-substitute is derived from reference tissues with known kinetic parameters. This new approach has the potential to derive a reliable AIF from muscles near the prostate; however, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of enhancement within these muscles is not available in the setting of prostate cancer. In this study, we have measured the kinetic parameters of the obturator muscles for 12 patients and found intra- and inter-subject variations in their pharmacokinetics.