Vessel-Wall Imaging Using Water-Selective Centrically-Encoded 3D SSFP-Echo with Double-Inversion Recovery

Michael C. Langham¹, Cheng Li¹, Erin K. Englund¹, Felix W. Wehrli¹

SSFP-echo is known to have low vascular signal but has not been considered for vessel-wall imaging. Its efficiency and inherent signal attenuation of moving spins due to phase incoherence of echo pathways make it potentially attractive for black-blood imaging. Here, we demonstrate the potential for 3D vessel-wall imaging with water-selective 3D SSFP-echo with double-inversion recovery (DIR-SSFPe). The use of DIR minimizes the enhancement of magnetization via inflow effect and provides additional time for the tissues Mz to relax during the inversion time. In vivo results support the proposed approach as a possible alternative to 3D vessel-wall imaging of carotid arteries.