Simultaneous extraction of Oxygen enhanced MRI indices and α-mapping in Cystic Fibrosis

Motivation: Functional lung MRI methods based on different physical principles are available, but their relationship is not well understood in diseaseGoal(s): Compare dynamic oxygen-enhanced MRI and ‘α-mapping’ extracted from the same acquisition with lung clearance index (LCI) in a cystic fibrosis (CF) populationApproach: Oxygen enhancement at 30s to 60s after oxygen start and at plateau are compared with α-mapping in 45 CF patients. Results: α-mapping and OE-MRI correlate strongly with LCI, confirming their validity. Dynamic OE-MRI identifies areas of fast and slow enhancement, which may be areas of collateral ventilation. α-mapping cannot separate non-ventilated areas from areas of slow gas arrival. Impact: Dynamic OE-MRI and α-mapping are extracted from a single acquisition and compared in a cystic fibrosis population. Dynamic OE-MRI identifies areas of fast and slow enhancement, possible collateral ventilation. α-Index cannot separate non-ventilated areas from areas of slow gas arrival.