Free breathing and breath hold lung T1 is significantly different in pulmonary hypertension subgroups.

This work explores lung T₁ mapping as a contrast-free, radiation-free method of differentiating subgroups in pulmonary hypertension, measured during both free breathing and inspiration breath hold acquisitions. Inspiration lung T₁ mapping is significantly different between patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH), as well as between patients with idiopathic PAH and PAH due to connective tissue disease (CTD) and congenital heart disease (CHD). Free breathing lung T₁ mapping was also significantly different between patients with IPAH and PAH CTD and CHD and may be useful in patients who struggle to maintain breath hold due to dyspnoea.