Myocardial and liver iron status using a fast T2* quantitative MRI (T2*qMRI) technique

Abstract

This work demonstrates the use of a fast and precise methodology for evaluating myocardial and liver iron status in multi-transfused thalassemic patients by means of a fast T2* quantitative MRI (T 2*qMRI) technique. Myocardial and liver T2* values were calculated in 48 thalassemic patients and 21 normal subjects on a 1.5T MRI system using a breath-hold 2D single-slice multiecho gradient-echo (MEGRE) sequence (16 echoes, TR/ TE1/TE16/FA = 160/2.7/37.65 ms/25°). No ECG gating was used. Myocardial T2*, liver T2*, and myocardial to muscle (CR/MS) and liver to muscle (LV/MS) T 2* ratios were correlated with serum ferritin concentration (SFC) levels for all patients. Significant differences in myocardial and liver mean T2*, CR/MS, and LV/MS T2* values between patients and normal subjects were found (P < 0.0005). Differences in paraspinous muscle mean T2* values between patients and normal subjects were not significant. Myocardial T2* and CR/MS T 2* values were not correlated with SFC levels. Liver T 2* and LV/MS T2* values were significantly correlated with SFC (r = 0.540, P < 0.0005). Myocardial T2* and CR/MS T2* values were not correlated with either liver T2* or LV/MS T2* values, respectively. We conclude that myocardial and liver iron deposition can be evaluated using the fast non-ECG-gated T2*qMRI technique. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.