Hyperpolarized gas MRI in pulmonology.
Agilo Luitger KernJens Vogel-ClaussenPublished in: The British journal of radiology (2018)
Lung diseases have a high prevalence amongst the world population and their early diagnosis has been pointed out to be key for successful treatment. However, there is still a lack of non-invasive examination methods with sensitivity to early, local deterioration of lung function. Proton-based lung MRI is particularly challenging due to short T2* times and low proton density within the lung tissue. Hyperpolarized gas MRI is aan emerging technology providing a richness of methodologies which overcome the aforementioned problems. Unlike proton-based MRI, lung MRI of hyperpolarized gases may rely on imaging of spins in the lung's gas spaces or inside the lung tissue and thereby add substantial value and diagnostic potential to lung MRI. This review article gives an introduction to the MR physics of hyperpolarized media and presents the current state of hyperpolarized gas MRI of 3Headvasd and 129Xe in pulmonology. Key applications, ranging from static and dynamic ventilation imaging as well as oxygen-pressure mapping to 129Xe dissolved-phase imaging and spectroscopy are presented. Hyperpolarized gas MRI is compared to alternative examination methods based on MRI and future directions of hyperpolarized gas MRI are discussed.
Keyphrases
- contrast enhanced
- magnetic resonance imaging
- diffusion weighted imaging
- high resolution
- lung function
- computed tomography
- room temperature
- magnetic resonance
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- photodynamic therapy
- acute respiratory distress syndrome
- human health
- mechanical ventilation
- current status
- high density