Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 218, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.
Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 16;10(1):17563. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-74462-6.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the pancreas is increasingly used as an important diagnostic modality for characterisation of pancreatic lesions. Pancreatic MRI protocols are mostly qualitative due to time constraints and motion sensitivity. MR Fingerprinting is an innovative acquisition technique that provides qualitative data and quantitative parameter maps from a single free-breathing acquisition with the potential to reduce exam times. This work investigates the feasibility of MRF parameter mapping for pancreatic imaging in the presence of free-breathing exam. Sixteen healthy participants were prospectively imaged using MRF framework. Regions-of-interest were drawn in multiple solid organs including the pancreas and T and T values determined. MRF T and T mapping was performed successfully in all participants (acquisition time:2.4-3.6 min). Mean pancreatic T values were 37-43% lower than those of the muscle, spleen, and kidney at both 1.5 and 3.0 T. For these organs, the mean pancreatic T values were nearly 40% at 1.5 T and < 12% at 3.0 T. The feasibility of MRF at 1.5 T and 3 T was demonstrated in the pancreas. By enabling fast and free-breathing quantitation, MRF has the potential to add value during the clinical characterisation and grading of pathological conditions, such as pancreatitis or cancer.
磁共振胰脏成像越来越多地被用作胰腺病变特征的重要诊断方式。由于时间限制和运动敏感性，胰脏 MRI 方案大多是定性的。MR 指纹成像（MR Fingerprinting）是一种创新的采集技术，它可以从单次自由呼吸采集获得定性数据和定量参数图，有可能减少检查时间。这项工作研究了在自由呼吸检查中进行胰脏成像的 MRF 参数映射的可行性。十六名健康参与者前瞻性地使用 MRF 框架进行了成像。在多个实体器官（包括胰脏）中画出了感兴趣区域，并确定了 T 值和 T1 值。在所有参与者中，MRF T 和 T 映射都成功完成（采集时间：2.4-3.6 分钟）。胰脏的 T 值比肌肉、脾脏和肾脏的 T 值低 37-43%，无论是在 1.5 特斯拉还是 3.0 特斯拉下都是如此。对于这些器官，胰脏的 T 值在 1.5 特斯拉时接近 40%，在 3.0 特斯拉时则低于 12%。在 1.5 特斯拉和 3 特斯拉下，MRF 在胰脏中的可行性得到了证明。通过实现快速和自由呼吸定量，MRF 有可能在胰腺炎或癌症等病理状况的临床特征和分级中增加价值。
