Cerebral perfusion mapping using a robust and efficient method for deconvolution analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced images

Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging using MRI or CT is emerging as a promising tool for diagnostic imaging of cerebral disorders and the monitoring of tumor response to treatment. In this study, we present a robust and efficient deconvolution method based on a linearized model of the impulse residue function, which allows for the mapping of functional cerebral parameters such as cerebral blood flow, volume, mean transit time, and permeability. Monte Carlo simulation studies were performed to study the accuracy and stability of the proposed method, before applying it to clinical study cases of patients with cerebral tumors imaged using DCE CT. Functional parameter maps generated using the proposed method revealed the locations of the cerebral tumors and were found to be of sufficiently good clarity for marked regional differences in tissue vascularity and permeability to be assessed. In particular, tumor visualization and delineation were found to be better on the parameter maps that were indicative of the breakdown of the blood–brain barrier.