Felix T Kurz1,2, Thomas Kampf3, Lukas R Buschle2, Sabine Heiland1, and Christian H Ziener1,2
1Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, 2E010 Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany, 3Wuerzburg University, Wuerzburg, Germany
Microscopically small early stage lung pathologies like emphysematous alterations of local lung tissue are usually not detectable on clinical MR images. The presented model connects defining tissue parameters for an MR imaging voxel, i.e. local alveolar radius and air-tissue ratio as well as diffusion coefficient and air-tissue susceptibility gradient, to CPMG relaxation rate dispersion over a range of inter-echo times. The model shows an excellent agreement with data from ageing hydrogel foam that mimics lung tissue.
