Estimation of Contrast Agent Concentration in DCE-MRI Using 2 Flip Angles

Abstract

Purpose 

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using 2 flip angles (FAs) with an ultrashort echo time during dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for estimation of plasma gadolinium (Gd) concentration without using a precontrast longitudinal relaxation time T₁ (T₁₀) measurement.

Methods 

T₁-weighted DCE-MRI experiments were carried out with C57BL/6J mice using the scan protocol with 2 FAs over 3 sequential segments during 1 scan. The data with 2 FAs were used to estimate T₁₀ (T_1T) during conversion of a time-intensity curve to the time-concentration curve. Three dosages of gadolinium-based contrast agent were used to achieve a wide range of variability in Gd concentrations when measured at 10 minutes postinjection: 0.05 mmol/kg (n = 6), 0.1 mmol/kg (n = 11), and 0.15 mmol/kg (n = 7). For comparison, the signal-to-concentration conversion was also conducted using the T₁₀ measured from the precontrast scan (T_1M) as well as a constant T₁₀ (2.1 seconds) from the literature (T_1C). The Gd concentrations ([Gd]) estimated using DCE-MRI data for the time of retro-orbital blood collection ([Gd]_T1T, [Gd]_T1M, and [Gd]_T1C, respectively) were compared against the [Gd] of the blood samples measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ([Gd]_MS). In addition, contrast kinetic model analysis was conducted on mice with GL261 brain tumors (n = 5) using the 3 different methods for T₁₀.

Results 

T_1T strongly correlated with T_1M (r = 0.81). [Gd]_T1M and [Gd]_T1T were significantly different from [Gd]_T1C. [Gd]_T1M and [Gd]_T1T were in good agreement with [Gd]_MS with strong correlations (mean percentage error ± standard deviation) of r = 0.70 (16% ± 56%) and r = 0.85 (15% ± 44%), respectively. In contrast, [Gd]_T1C had a weak correlation of r = 0.52 with larger errors of 33% ± 24%. The contrast kinetic model parameters of GL261 brain tumors using T_1T were not significantly different from those using T_1M.

Conclusions 

This study substantiates the feasibility of using the 2-FA approach during DCE-MRI scan to estimate [Gd] in the plasma without using an extra scan to perform precontrast T₁ measurements.