Enhancing myocardial scar detection by combining fat-water separation with bright- and black-blood late gadolinium enhancement imaging

Motivation: Combined bright- and black-blood late gadolinium enhancement has shown potential for scar detection.However, accurate differentiation between scar and fat tissue in these images can pose a challenge. Goal(s): To assess the SPOT-Dixon sequence, a joint bright- and black- blood methodology in combination with a two-point Dixon approach to improve myocardial scar detection and delineation. Approach: The proposed sequence was tested in 13 patients with suspected cardiovascular diseases and the results were compared to those from reference sequences. Results: The SPOT-Dixon sequence was able to reliably delineate scar tissue within the myocardium and differentiate it from fat in its proximity. Impact: The proposed sequence combining the SPOT sequence and a two-point Dixon method gives reliable images of the myocardial scar and the fat tissue surrounding it, providing a valuable diagnostic advantage and potentially improving the accuracy of cardiovascular assessments.