Differentiating Myocardial Scar and Viable Myocardium without Gadolinium Contrast using Native Cardiac MRF Maps and Synthetic Images

Motivation: Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE) imaging is the gold-standard CMR imaging for distinguishing heart tissue viability. However, not all patients can receive gadolinium-based contrast agent. Native T1 have been proposed in place of LGE. Goal(s): This study explores pre-contrast cardiac MRF T1 and T2 measurements as potential indicators of ischemic myocardial scar. Approach: Native T1 and T2 values were measured using cMRF in eleven ischemic patients using ROIs in both scar and non-scar myocardial tissue identified through LGE imaging. Results: Native cMRF measurements differ between scar and non-scar areas. Synthetic images from these maps highlight scar tissue, offering a potential LGE imaging alternative. Impact: Native cMRF T1 and T2 maps and synthetic images derived from these maps may enable differentiation of scar tissue from viable myocardium without the need for gadolinium-based contrast agents.