BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Real-time compressed sensing cine (CS) provides reliable quantification for both ventricles but may alter image quality. The aim of this study was to assess image quality and the accuracy of left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes, ejection fraction and mass quantifications based on a retrogated segmented compressed sensing 2D cine sequence (CS).

METHODS

Thirty patients were enrolled. Each patient underwent the reference retrogated segmented steady-state free precession cine sequence (SSFP), the real-time CS cine and the segmented retrogated prototype CS sequence providing the same slices. Functional parameters quantification and image quality rating were performed on SSFP and CS images sets. The edge sharpness, which is an estimate of the edge spread function, was assessed for the three sequences.

RESULTS

The mean scan time was: SSFP = 485.4 ± 83.3 (SD) s (95% CI: 454.3-516.5) and CS = 58.3 ± 15.1 (SD) s (95% CI: 53.7-64.2) ( < 0.0001). CS subjective image quality score (median: 4; range: 2-4) was higher than the one provided by CS (median: 3; range: 2-4; = 0.0008) and not different from SSFP overall quality score (median: 4; range: 2-4; = 0.31). CS provided similar LV and RV functional parameters to those assessed with SSFP ( > 0.05). Edge sharpness was significantly better with CS (0.083 ± 0.013 (SD) pixel; 95% CI: 0.078-0.087) than with CS (0.070 ± 0.011 (SD) pixel; 95% CI: 0.066-0.074; = 0.0004) and not different from the reference technique (0.075 ± 0.016 (SD) pixel; 95% CI: 0.069-0.081; = 0.0516).

CONCLUSIONS

CS cine provides in one minute an accurate quantification of LV and RV functional parameters without compromising subjective and objective image quality.