Cerebral Blood Volume and Relative Perfusion Rate Mapping with Contrast Enhanced Gradient Echo Echo Planar Imaging

PURPOSE: To assess regional cerebral blood volume and perfusion rate by MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Eight normal volunteers and one patient underwent MR imaging after bolus injection of a double dose ofgadoinium(0.2mMol/kg). Gradient-echo EPI pulse sequencing was used, with TR/TE 1500/40msec, flip angle 90o, matrixsize 256X128. One hundred sequential images at the same level were obtained. The time-signal intensity curve wasplotted and converted to a time-concentration ( R2) curve. Relative cerebral blood volume was determined, withintegration of time-concentration curve pixel by pixel. Perfusion rate was determined by calculating maximal slopeof the R2 curve and the time taken to attain this. RESULTS: On volume maps, clear differentiation of gray matter,white matter and major vessels was established. The mean gray and white matter ratio of blood volume was2.78+/-0.43. Slope and volume maps were similar, but in one patient perfusion was apparently greater on the ratemap than on the volume map. CONCLUSION: Cerebral blood volvme and slope map images reflect changes in cerebralhemodynamics. It is thought that these findings can be clinically applied to the determination of vascularity inbrain tumors and acute cerebral ischemiaope