CEST MR Fingerprinting for In Vivo Bilateral Breast Imaging

Motivation: To enable quantitative CEST and MT maps in breast tissue for potential tumor characterization. Goal(s): To explore the feasibility of simultaneously obtaining T1, T2, CEST and MT maps in breast tissue. Approach: A CEST-MRF pulse sequence was used to measure the amide and semi-solid exchange rate and volume fractions. Quantitative maps were obtained using a neural network trained on physics-derived signals. Results: The proposed approach yields water T1 and T2 relaxation maps, amide exchange and volume fraction maps, and semi-solid exchange and volume fraction maps in the breast in a scan time of less than 2 minutes. Impact: Comprehensive quantitative T1, T2, amide CEST and MT bilateral breast imaging in under 2 minutes can improve the detection and characterization of breast cancer and the response to treatment in a clinical setting without the use of a contrast agent.