Myocardial delayed enhancement imaging using inversion recovery single-shot steady-state free precession: Initial experience

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of using an inversion recovery single‐shot steady‐state free precession (SS_SSFP) sequence for myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) imaging, and to compare SS_SSFP with the conventional inversion recovery segmented fast gradient echo (IR_FGRE) technique. Materials and Methods Ten subjects (four volunteers and six patients with suspected or known coronary disease) were included in this study. All subjects were scanned with both IR_FGRE and SS_SSFP sequences 15–25 minutes after gadopentetate dimeglumine injection. Overall image quality, signal‐to‐noise ratios (SNRs), and contrast‐to‐noise ratios (CNRs) between the two techniques were compared. Results Compared to IR_FGRE, SS_SSFP exhibited adequate image quality (average scores = 3.8 for IR_FGRE and 3.9 for SS_SSFP) with much shorter acquisition time (14.4 seconds for IR_FGRE and 1.3 seconds for SS_SSFP). SS_SSFP images showed higher SNRs (P < 0.05) and less motion artifact from breathing. Enhanced myocardium was detected by both techniques in three patients, but the image sharpness is compromised in SS_SSFP images. Conclusion SS_SSFP provides adequate image quality compared to IR_FGRE, while requiring a much shorter acquisition time. It is feasible to use SS_SSFP as an alternative method for MDE imaging, especially in patients who have difficulty with holding their breath. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2004;20:327–330. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.