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Quantitative comparisons between relaxation enhanced compressed sensing 3D MERGE and conventional 3D MERGE for vessel wall imaging in equal scan time: preliminary studies

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Abstract

In this study, we quantitatively compared relaxation enhanced compressed sensing (RECS-3D MERGE) with conventional 3D MERGE techniques on blood suppression efficiency, wall-lumen contrast and plaque burden measurement for carotid atherosclerotic imaging in equal scan time. Twelve patients were recruited in the study. RECS-3D MERGE and conventional 3D MERGE were implemented. 2D DIR-FSE was carried out as a reference standard. The lumen signal-to-tissue ratio (STR) was used as the quantitative measure of blood suppression efficiency. The contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR) was used as the quantitative measure of wall-lumen contrast. Vessel lumen area (LA) and wall area (WA) were measured for morphological comparisons. The lumen STR of RECS-3D MERGE was significantly lower than that of 3D MERGE while the wall-lumen CTR of RECS-3D MERGE was significantly higher. There were no significant differences in plaque burden measurements between RECS-3D MERGE and 2D DIR-FSE. For comparison between conventional 3D MERGE and 2D DIR-FSE, there were no significant differences in LA measurement. However, the WA of 3D MERGE was significantly larger. The RECS-3D MERGE sequence achieved more sufficient blood suppression and higher image contrast without prolonging the scan time. These improvements lead to more accurate morphological measurements of carotid atherosclerotic imaging.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81760311), Science and Technology Plan Foundation of the Jiangxi Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission (20184009), and Chinese Medicine Research Foundation of the Jiangxi Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission (2017A152).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330008, China

    Bo Li

  2. Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330008, China

    Bo Li

  3. Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK

    Hao Li

  4. Department of Radiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, China

    Li Dong

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  1. Bo Li
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  2. Hao Li
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  3. Li Dong
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Correspondence to Li Dong.

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Li, B., Li, H. & Dong, L. Quantitative comparisons between relaxation enhanced compressed sensing 3D MERGE and conventional 3D MERGE for vessel wall imaging in equal scan time: preliminary studies. Sci. China Life Sci. 62, 1683–1691 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-019-9589-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-019-9589-5

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