Evaluation of 2D Imaging Schemes for Pulsed Arterial Spin Labeling of the Human Kidney Cortex

Buchanan, Charlotte E.; Cox, Eleanor F.; Francis, Susan T.

Abstract

Purpose
A number of imaging readout schemes have been proposed for renal arterial spin labelling (ASL) to quantify kidney cortex perfusion, including gradient echo based methods of balanced fast field echo (bFFE) and gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GE-EPI), or spin echo based schemes of spin-echo echo planar imaging (SE-EPI) and turbo spin-echo (TSE). Here, we compare these 2D imaging schemes to evaluate the optimal imaging scheme for pulsed ASL (PASL) assessment of human kidney cortex perfusion at 3 T.
Methods
Ten healthy volunteers with normal renal function were scanned using each 2D multislice imaging scheme, in combination with a respiratory triggered FAIR (flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery) ASL scheme on a 3T Philips Achieva scanner. All volunteers returned for a second identical scan session within two weeks of the first scan session. Comparisons were made between the imaging schemes in terms of perfusion weighted image (PWI) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and perfusion quantification, temporal SNR (tSNR), spatial coverage, and repeatability.
Results:
For each imaging scheme, renal cortex perfusion was calculated (bFFE: 276 ± 29 ml/100g/min, GE-EPI: 222 ± 18 ml/100g/min, SE-EPI: 201 ± 36 ml/100g/min, TSE: 200 ± 20 ml/100g/min). Perfusion was found to be higher for GE based readouts compared to SE based readouts, with significantly higher measured perfusion for the bFFE readout compared to all other schemes (P < 0.05), attributed to the greater vascular signal present. Despite the PWI-SNR being significantly lower for SE-EPI compared to all other schemes (P < 0.05), the SE-EPI readout gave the highest tSNR and was found to be the most reproducible scheme for the assessment of kidney cortex, with a CoV of 17.2%, whilst minimizing variability of the perfusion weighted signal across slices for whole kidney perfusion assessment.
Conclusion
For the assessment of kidney cortex perfusion using 2D readout schemes, SE-EPI provides optimal tSNR, minimal variability across slices and repeatable data acquired in a short scan time with low specific absorption rate.

Citation

Buchanan, C. E., Cox, E. F., & Francis, S. T. (2018). Evaluation of 2D Imaging Schemes for Pulsed Arterial Spin Labeling of the Human Kidney Cortex. Diagnostics, 8(3), Article 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics8030043

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 25, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Aug 28, 2018
• Publication Date: Jun 28, 2018
• Deposit Date: Oct 27, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 29, 2019
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 3
• Article Number: 43
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics8030043
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1059593
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/8/3/43