Free-breathing variable XXXX angle balanced SSFP cardiac cine imaging with reduced SAR at 3T.

@entity1 @entity64 @entity851 @entity1182 @entity1555 @entity3795
PURPOSE: To develop a free-breathing variable @entity1182 angle (VFA) balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cardiac cine imaging technique with reduced specific absorption rate (SAR) at 3 Tesla. METHODS: Free-breathing VFA (FB-VFA) images in the @entity851 and four-chamber views were acquired using an optimal VFA scheme, then compared with conventional breath-hold constant @entity1182 angle (BH- @entity3795 ) acquisitions. Two cardiac MRI experts used a 5-point scale to score images from healthy subjects (N = 10). The left ventricular ejection fraction, end diastolic volume (LVEDV), end systolic volume, @entity64 volume (LVSV), and end diastolic myocardial mass (LVEDM) were determined by manual contour analysis for BH- @entity3795 and FB-VFA. A pilot evaluation of FB-VFA was performed in one @entity1 with @entity1555 . RESULTS: FB-VFA SAR was 25% lower than BH- @entity3795 with similar blood-myocardium contrast. The qualitative FB-VFA score was lower than the BH- @entity3795 for the @entity851 (3.1    0.5 versus 4.3    0.8; P < 0.05) and the four-chamber view (3.4    0.4 versus 4.6    0.6; P < 0.05). The LVEDV and the LVSV were 5% and 12% larger (P < 0.05) for FB-VFA compared with BH- @entity3795 . There was no difference in LVEDM. CONCLUSION: FB-VFA bSSFP cardiac cine imaging decreased the SAR at 3T with image quality sufficient to perform cardiac functional analysis. Magn Reson Med, 2015.    2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
