Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI in the Liver at 3T with Dual-Input Pharmacokinetic Model Analysis

Andrew Brian Gill¹, Lorenzo Mannelli¹, Peter Beddy¹, Richard T. Black¹, Ilse Joubert¹, Andrew N. Priest¹, Martin J. Graves¹, David J. Lomas¹

This study reports hepatic perfusion measurements made with DCE-MRI at 3T, performed so as to allow analysis using a dual-input kinetic model which separates perfusion components from the hepatic artery and portal vein. DCE data acquisition had a single-heartbeat time resolution and employed a dual saturation-recovery sequence to sample high [Gd] in the blood near-simultaneously with low [Gd] in the liver parenchyma. Mean results for total perfusion (69 24 ml/min/100ml) and arterial fraction (16 7 %) from 7 healthy volunteers were in line with those reported by other groups collecting data at 1.5T.