Quantitative and Qualitative Correlation of 0.55T MRI to CT for Normal Anatomic Structures and Common Pulmonary Pathologies

Motivation: Although MRI has had low adoption in lung imaging due to susceptibility artifacts, limiting its utility in pulmonary parenchymal imaging, low-field MRI (0.55T) has potential to address those limitations. Goal(s): However, its thoracic diagnostic capabilities remain indeterminate, so our goal was to compare its ability to detect common lung pathologies to chest CT and provide comparable quantitative measurements. Approach: Structures and pathologies were measured with both modalities, and two radiologists identified lung pathologies with MRI only. Results: Results indicated that readers were able to detect pathologies using 0.55T MRI, serving as a first step in exploring 0.55T MRI as an alternative modality. Impact: Our study revealed potential for 0.55T MRI as an emerging tool for MR-based anatomic evaluation of the lung, and its limitations. This can expand lung imaging options and potentially provide better tissue characterization for diagnoses like lung cancer.