Abstract #3880

MRI Pulse Sequence Optimization for Molecular Imaging of the Brain Aneurysm Wall

Imramsjah M.J. van der Bom¹, Matthew J. Gounis¹, Shaokuan Zheng², Juyu Chueh¹, Anna Luisa Khn¹, Alexei A. Bogdanov³

¹Radiology/NECStR, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; ²Radiology/AMRIC, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; ³Radiology/Nuclear Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States

To investigate the role of unruptured aneurysm wall inflammation and propensity for rupture, imaging parameters of a motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium black-blood sequence were optimized to suppress signal caused by slow non-linear blood flow within aneurysms while preserving CNR from surrounding tissue. Parameter optimization was performed using a silicone vascular replica and a rabbit aneurysm model. The optimized sequence was used to investigate signal enhancement of inflamed aneurysm walls in rabbits using a MPO-specific contrast agent. Blood signal within the aneurysms was sufficiently suppressed in all rabbits and a significant increase of SNR was observed in the inflamed aneurysms compared to controls.