Feasibility of T1rho Mapping with On-Scanner Non-rigid Image Registration for Lung Imaging

Motivation: T1ρ-mapping has shown great potential in identifying tissue damage involving collagen, as well as inflamed and fibrotic tissue in liver and heart diseases, but has not been investigated for lungs. Goal(s): We aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of on-scanner motion corrected T1ρ-mapping for imaging of the lung. Approach: For seven healthy volunteers, unregistered, registered T1ρ-maps and T2-maps were acquired and the relaxation times compared in different regions-of-interest. Differences in diaphragm positions between the images used for the T1ρ-maps were used to assess the non-rigid registration performance. Results: Motion corrected T1ρ-mapping for lung imaging is feasible and more robust if acquired in expiration breath-hold. Impact: The acquisition of T1ρ-maps for lungs could provide valuable additional information in the identification and classification of inflamed and fibrotic tissue regions present in diseases such as radiation-induced pneumonitis or interstitial lung disease.