Multi-parametric imaging in muscle based on chemical shift encoded multi-echo variable flip angle sequence: initial experience at 5T system

Motivation: Water T1 (wT1) has been shown to be a sensitive biomarker for muscle disease in the 3T system. Goal(s): The aim of this work was to investigate the feasibility of simultaneous wT1/PDFF/R2* imaging in the 5T system. Approach: Simultaneous multi-parametric imaging was achieved using chemical shift encoded multi-echo variable flip angle (CSE-VFA) sequences combined with B1 measurement techniques. Results: Corrected by the preTFL approach, homogeneous wT1 maps are obtained even under B1 varying from 0.37 to 1.12. Impact: In this work we have tested the feasibility of simultaneous quantification of wT1/PDFF/R2* in the 5T imaging system. This work has laid the foundation for subsequent research into the clinical significance of extracellular volume fraction.