Talissa A. Altes1, John P. Mugler1,
Isabel M. Dregely2, Stephen Ketel3, Iulian C. Ruset2,3,
Eduard E. de Lange1, F William Hersman2,3, Kai Ruppert1
1Radiology, University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA, United States; 2Physics, University of New
Hampshire, Durham, NH; 3Xemed, LCC, Durham, NH
The
purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and currently achievable
quality of hyperpolarized xenon-129 ventilation (spin density) MRI in normal
subjects (n=7) and patients with asthma (n=5), chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) (n=4), cystic fibrosis (CF) (n=1), and sickle cell disease
(SCD) (n=1). As seen previously with helium, the normal subjects had
homogeneous ventilation with few if any ventilation defects. Focal ventilation defects were found in all
patients with obstructive lung diseases.
Qualitatively the hyperpolarized xenon-129 ventilation images are
similar although not identical to previously acquired hyperpolarized helium-3
ventilation images in different patients with similar disease states.