Jing Yuan1, Steven Kwok Keung Chow1, David Ka Wai Yeung1, Anil T. Ahuja1, Ann D. King1
1Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
Dynamic tracer concentration in veins, although as blood collecting vessels, was proposed as a mathematical input function for head and neck DCE-MRI kinetic analysis to compensate for the arterial blood in-flow effect. The tracer concentration in veins and arteries should be theoretically equal in a single-pool and low-permeability model. Dynamic concentration-time-curves (CTCs) in arteries and veins were used for Tofts parameter estimation. Remarkable inter-slice concentration differences were found in arteries and resulted in considerable parameter estimation inconsistency. As comparison, the in-flow effect was significantly reduced and consistent kinetic parameter estimation was achieved by using the venous CTCs.