Suppression of ghost artifacts arising from long T1 species in segmented inversion‐recovery imaging

Purpose We demonstrate an improved segmented inversion‐recovery sequence that suppresses ghost artifacts arising from tissues with long T1 ( > 1.5 s). Theory and Methods Long T1 species such as pericardial fluid can create bright ghost artifacts in segmented, inversion‐recovery MRI because of oscillations in longitudinal magnetization between segments. A single dummy acquisition at the beginning of the sequence can reduce oscillations; however, its effectiveness in suppressing long T1 artifacts is unknown. In this study, we systematically evaluated several test sequences, including a prototype (saturation post‐pulse readout to eliminate spurious signal: SPPRESS) in simulations, phantoms, and patients. Results SPPRESS reduced artifact signal 90% ± 25% and 74% ± 28% compared with Control and Single‐Dummy methods in phantoms. SPPRESS performed well at 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3T, with steady‐state free precession (SSFP) and fast low‐angle shot (FLASH) readout, with conventional and phase‐sensitive reconstruction, and over a range of physiologic heart rates. A review of 100 consecutive clinical cardiac MRI scans revealed large fluid collections (eg, regions with long T1) in 14% of patients. In a prospectively enrolled cohort of 16 patients with visible long T1 fluids, SPPRESS appreciably reduced artifacts in all cases compared with Control and Single‐Dummy methods. Conclusion We developed and validated a new robust method, SPPRESS, for reducing artifacts due to long T1 species across a wide range of imaging and physiologic conditions. Magn Reson Med 78:1442–1451, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.