Epstein, F. H., J. F. London, D. C. Peters, L. M. Goncalves, K. Agyeman, J. Taylor, R. S. Balaban and A. E. Arai. Multislice first-pass cardiac perfusion MRI: Validation in a model of myocardial infarction. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 47:482-491, 2002.

The purpose of this study was to validate a first-pass MRI method for imaging myocardial perfusion with multislice coverage and relatively small analyzable regions of interest (ROIs). A fast gradient-echo (FGRE) sequence with an echo-train (ET) readout was used to achieve multislice coverage, and a high dose of a contrast agent (CA) was used to achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Dogs (N = 6) were studied 1 day after reperfused myocardial infarction, and fluorescent microspheres were used as a standard for perfusion. First-pass MRI correlated well vs. microsphere flow, achieving mean R values of 0.87 (range = 0.82-0.93), 0.71 (range = 0.46-0.85), and 0.72 (range = 0.49-0.95) for subendocardial ROIs, transmural ROIs, and the endocardial-epicardial ratio, respectively. Additionally, analysis of myocardial time-intensity curves (TICs) indicated that 15.8 +/- 6.6degrees sectors, corresponding to 260 mul of endocardium, can be analyzed (R-2 > 0.95)