IMAGING STRATEGY Comparison of ECG-Gated Rectilinear vs. Real-Time Radial K-Space Sampling Schemes in Cine True-FISP Cardiac MRI

Purpose. To compare three k-space sampling schemes in cine True-FISP cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and to evaluate changes in calculated quantitative functional cardiac parameters as a function of underlying k-space sampling techniques. Material and Methods. Using a 1.5 T MR imaging system (Magnetom Sonata, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany), three k-space data-sampling schemes: rectilinear (2.96 ms/1.58 ms/70/12 s TR/TE/FA/AcquisitionTime), and two radial k-space acquisitions, with filtered back-projection (RADIAL) (2.45 ms/1.25 ms/ 50/3.3 s TR/TE/FA/AT), and steady-state projection imaging with dynamic echo-train readout (SPIDER) (3.39 ms/1.62 ms/55/1.8 s TR/TE/FA/AT) of a True-FISP sequence were applied in 10 healthy volunteers. Long- and short-axis breath-hold series were acquired and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) for blood and myocardium were determined, as was contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR). Quantitative cardiac functional analysis included: determination of end-systolic/end-diastolic volumes, ejection fraction, and left ventricular mass. Functional analysis was performed by tw