Jacqueline A. Flewitt1, Kelvin Chow2, Joseph J. Pagano2, Jordin D. Green3, Matthias G. Friedrich1, Richard B. Thompson2
1Stephenson CMR Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 2Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; 3Siemens Healthcare, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Quantitative myocardial T1 mapping is the technique of choice for fibrosis and has been combined with blood T1 measurements (pre and post gadolinium) to calculate the less time and dose sensitive blood-tissue partition coefficient (lambda). However, systematic errors have been reported in the popular MOLLI T1 mapping techniques and the effects on lambda have not been explored. In a study of 10 healthy volunteers, blood and myocardial T1 values were compared using MOLLI and a SAturation-recovery single-SHot Acquisition (SASHA) method. Systematic T1 measurement differences were found between the techniques, resulting in MOLLI-derived lambdas that are 22% greater than those calculated using SASHA.