On
the Validity of 3He Diffusion MRI Evidence of Neo-Alveolarization
in Lungs: The Effects of Branching Structure
Juan Parra-Robles1,
Jim M. Wild1
1Unit
of Academic Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
In this work we use computer simulations to assess the
effect that airways branching has on measurements of ADC in the growing lung.
Our results show that reported evidence of alveolarization obtained from
helium diffusion MR is not conclusive; since for branching airways geometry,
measured ADC changes may be the result of different types of structural
changes and hence no discrimination can be made between airway enlargement
and alveolarization.
