Free‐breathing 3D CEST MRI of human liver at 3.0 T

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine 2023-02, Vol.89 (2), p.738-745
• Main Authors: Han, Pei, Cheema, Karandeep, Cao, Tianle, Lee, Hsu‐Lei, Han, Fei, Wang, Nan, Han, Hui, Xie, Yibin, Christodoulou, Anthony G., Li, Debiao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amides; APT; chemical exchange saturation transfer; Data acquisition; Fasting; Glycogen; Glycogens; Humans; Image reconstruction; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Liver; Liver - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; MR multitasking; Multitasking; Protons; Sensitivity; Spatial discrimination; Spatial resolution; steady‐state CEST; Three dimensional motion
• ISSN: 0740-3194; 1522-2594
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29470

Purpose To develop a novel 3D abdominal CEST MRI technique at 3 T using MR multitasking, which enables entire‐liver coverage with free‐breathing acquisition. Methods k‐Space data were continuously acquired with repetitive steady‐state CEST (ss‐CEST) modules. The stack‐of‐stars acquisition pattern was used for k‐space sampling. MR multitasking was used to reconstruct motion‐resolved 3D CEST images of 53 frequency offsets with entire‐liver coverage and 2.0 × 2.0 × 6.0 mm3 spatial resolution. The total scan time was 9 min. The sensitivity of amide proton transfer (APT)‐CEST (magnetization transfer asymmetry [MTRasym] at 3.5 ppm) and glycogen CEST (glycoCEST) (mean MTRasym around 1.0 ppm) signals generated with the proposed method were tested with fasting experiments. Results Both APT‐CEST and glycoCEST signals showed high sensitivity between post‐fasting and post‐meal acquisitions. APT‐CEST and glycoCEST MTRasym signals from post‐mean scans were significantly increased (APT‐CEST: −0.019 ± 0.017 in post‐fasting scans, 0.014 ± 0.021 in post‐meal scans, p