Feasibility of Volumetric Multiple-Breath Washout 19F-Perfluoropropane Ventilation Mapping of the Lung in Healthy Children

Motivation: Multiple-breath washout (MBW) MRI following exhalation of a tracer gas results in regional maps of fractional ventilation (FV). Using perfluoropropane (PFP) gas allows for long washout experiments which may provide useful clinical insight on slow-filling regions of diseased lungs, particularly in children. Goal(s): Test feasibility of MBW PFP-MRI in pediatric healthy participants, investigate gravitational dependence of FV. Approach: 3 healthy pediatric participants were imaged using 3D broad-banded 19F-MRI and the following MBW maneuver: 6 inhalations of PFP gas mixture, then wash-out with room air with 8s MR-images every second breath. Results: MBW PFP-MRI was feasible in children. The gravitational gradient was as expected. Impact: The ability of PFP to be mixed with oxygen and the fact that it is thermally polarized makes longer MBW studies possible and thus has the potential to improve tolerance by younger subjects and those with more advanced lung disease.