Kiaran P. McGee1, Richard L. Ehman1,
Rolf D. Hubmayr2, David L. Levin1, Mary Breen3,
Debora Rasmussen2, Yogesh K. Mariappan1
1Radiology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation,
Rochester, MN, United States; 2Pulmonology & Critical Care,
Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN, United States; 3College
of Arts and Sciences, Boston College, Boston, MA, United States
Interstitial
lung disease (ILD) induced end stage fibrosis is a multi phase process that
includes presence of an exudate followed by either edema clearance or
organization of the space filling material and fibrosis. We have applied
magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to determine if this method can
differentiate between normal and those processes associated with ILD. MRE
estimates of shear modulus increased following lung injury when compared to
an air-filled lung suggesting that lung injury-induced restructuring of lung
parenchyma results in changes to the intrinsic mechanical properties of the
lung and that these changes can be quantitated with MRE.