Repeatability of Phase-Resolved Functional Lung (PREFUL)-MRI Ventilation and Perfusion Parameters in Healthy Subjects and COPD Patients

BACKGROUND: Free-breathing phase-resolved functional lung (PREFUL)-MRI may be useful for treatment monitoring in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with dyspnea. PREFUL test-retest reliability is essential for clinical application. PURPOSE: To measure the repeatability of PREFUL-MRI ventilation (V) and perfusion (Q) parameters. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective and prospective. POPULATION: A total of 28 COPD patients and 57 healthy subjects. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5T MRI/2D spoiled gradient echo imaging. ASSESSMENT: V and Q lung parameter maps based on three coronal slices were obtained at baseline and after 14 days (COPD patients) or after a short pause outside the scanner (healthy subjects). Regional ventilation (RVent) and imaging flow volume loops by cross-correlation (ccVent) were quantified. Q was normalized to the signal of the main pulmonary artery (Q(N) ) and quantified (Q(Quant) ). Pulmonary pulse wave transit time (pPTT), voxel-by-voxel (regional), and whole lung (global) ventilation defect percentage based on RVent (VDP(RVent) ) and ccVent (VDP(ccVent) ), perfusion defect percentage (QDP), and ventilation/perfusion match based on RVent (VQM(RVent) ) and ccVent (VQM(ccVent) ) were calculated. STATISTICAL TESTS: Regional V and Q were analyzed globally for each subject. Each parameter's median of scans 1 and 2 were assessed by Wilcoxon sign rank test. A parameter's repeatability was analyzed by Bland-Altman analyses, coefficients of variation, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and power calculations. The regional voxel repeatability was examined by calculating the Sørensen-Dice coefficient. RESULTS: There was no bias and no significant differences between the first and second MRI for any parameters (P > 0.05). Coefficient of variation ranged from 2.26% (ccVent) to 19.31% (QDP), ICC from 0.93 (QDP) to 0.60 (pPTT), the smallest detectable difference was 0.002 ccVent. Regional comparison showed the highest overlap (84%) in VDP(RVent) in healthy voxels and the lowest (53%) in VDP(ccVent) defect voxels. DATA CONCLUSION: V and Q PREFUL-MRI parameters were repeatable over two scan sessions in both healthy controls and COPD patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

• Pöhler, G. H.
• Klimeš, F.
• Behrendt, L.
• Voskrebenzev, A.
• Gonzalez, C. C.
• Wacker, F.
• Hohlfeld, J. M.
• Vogel-Claussen, J.