Comparison of 3D UTE free-breathing lung MRI with hyperpolarized 129 Xe MRI in pediatric cystic fibrosis

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine 2025-02, Vol.93 (2), p.775-787
• Main Authors: Munidasa, Samal, Zanette, Brandon, Dumas, Marie-Pier, Wee, Wallace, Braganza, Sharon, Li, Daniel, Ratjen, Felix, Santyr, Giles
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Cystic Fibrosis - diagnostic imaging; Female; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Lung - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Respiration; Respiratory Function Tests; Xenon Isotopes
• ISSN: 0740-3194; 1522-2594
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30299

To compare phase-resolved functional lung (PREFUL) regional ventilation derived from a free breathing 3D UTE radial MRI acquisition to hyperpolarized Xe-MRI (Xe-MRI), conventional 2D multi-slice PREFUL MRI, and pulmonary function tests in pediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Free-breathing 3D UTE and 2D multi-slice H MRI as well as Xe-MRI were acquired in 12 stable pediatric CF patients. Using PREFUL, regional ventilation (RVent) maps were calculated from the free-breathing data. Ventilation defect percentage (VDP) was determined from 3D and 2D RVent maps (2D VDP and 3D VDP , respectively) and Xe-MRI ventilation (VDP ). VDP was calculated for the whole lung and for eight regions based on left/right, anterior/posterior, and superior/inferior divisions of the lung. Global and regional VDP was compared between the three methods using Bland-Altman analysis, linear mixed model-based correlation, and one-way analysis of variance and multiple comparisons tests. Global 3D VDP , VDP , and 2D VDP were all strongly correlated (all R > 0.62, p