Accelerated multi-contrast high isotropic resolution 3D intracranial vessel wall MRI using a tailored k-space undersampling and partially parallel reconstruction strategy

• Published in: Magma (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 343 - 357
• Main Authors: Balu, Niranjan, Zhou, Zechen, Hippe, Daniel S., Hatsukami, Thomas, Mossa-Basha, Mahmud, Yuan, Chun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2019
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Algorithms; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Computer Appl. in Life Sciences; Contrast Media; Female; Fourier Analysis; Health Informatics; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Imaging; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Radiology; Research Article; Signal-To-Noise Ratio; Solid State Physics; Stroke - diagnostic imaging; Time Factors; Magnetic resonance imaging; Intracranial atherosclerosis; Cerebrovascular stroke
• ISSN: 0968-5243; 1352-8661; 1352-8661
• DOI: 10.1007/s10334-018-0730-8

Objective To develop a 3D multi-contrast IVW protocol with 0.5-mm isotropic resolution and a scan time of 5 min per sequence. Materials and methods Pre-contrast T1w VISTA, DANTE prepared PDw VISTA, SNAP, and post-contrast T1w VISTA were accelerated using cartesian undersampling with target ordering method (CUSTOM) and self-supporting tailored k-space estimation for parallel imaging reconstruction (STEP). CUSTOM + STEP IVW was compared to full-sample IVW, SENSE-accelerated IVW, and CUSTOM + zero-filled Fourier reconstruction in normal volunteers and subjects with intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). Image quality, vessel delineation, CSF suppression, and blood suppression were compared. Results CUSTOM + STEP vessel wall delineation was comparable to full-sample IVW and better than SENSE IVW for vessel wall delineation on T1w VISTA and luminal contrast on SNAP. Average image quality and wall depiction were significantly improved using STEP reconstruction compared with zero-filled Fourier reconstruction, with no significant difference in CSF or blood suppression. Conclusions CUSTOM + STEP allowed multi-contrast 3D 0.5-mm isotropic IVW within 30 min. Although some quantitative and qualitative scores for CUSTOM − STEP were lower than fully sampled IVW, CUSTOM + STEP provided comparable vessel wall delineation as full-sample IVW and was superior to SENSE. CUSTOM + STEP IVW was well tolerated by patients and showed good delineation of ICAD plaque.