12 Comparison of left ventricular volumetric assessment by standard steady-state free precession and real time cine imaging

Background Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become the gold standard for the assessment of cardiac volumetry and function. Currently, multi-breath-hold, steady-state free precession (SSFP) short-axis stack is acquired. Hence, accelerated image acquisition may be desirable in order to improve the time efficiency of the examination and to reduce motion artefact in subjects experiencing difficulty breath-holding. Purpose To compare a non-breath-hold SSFP multi-slice real-time Cine sequence with the standard multi-breath-hold SSFP technique for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) volumes and systolic function. Methods Prospectively 20 patients referred for routine clinical CMR was assessed. Functional assessment was performed with a standard SSFP sequence (approximate acquisition matrix 256 × 166, acquisition voxel size 1.66 × 1.33 × 8 mm, 30 phases, TR 48.16, IPAT 3, either retrospectively or prospectively gated). Assessment was also carried out using a real time Cine sequence (approximate acquisition matrix 160 × 92, acquisition voxel size 3.26 × 2.5 × 8 mm, number of phases determined according to R-R interval, TR 42.84, IPAT 4). Quantification of end-diastolic volume index [EDVi], end-systolic volume index [ESVi] and ejection fraction [EF] was performed by a single observer, blinded. Image quality was graded using a 4-point scale. Results Scans from 20 patients (age 63.0±11.7 years, 13 male) were analysed. All images were analysable and image quality was rated as excellent/good in 85% of real-time images and 90% of standard cine images. The duration of imaging was 15±7 s for the real-time sequence and 383±139 s for the standard sequence (p Conclusion For assessment of LV volumes and function, non-breath-hold, real-time cine sequences are feasible in the clinical setting and achieves similar values to segmented breath-held cines. This technique may prove useful in patients with breath-holding difficulty, patients with arrhythmias, or to accelerate exam times to enhance patient flow.