AGE DEPENDENCY OF THE REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-VOLUME (RCBV) MEASURED WITH DYNAMIC SUSCEPTIBILITY CONTRAST MR-IMAGING (DSC)

The changes of the regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) with age were studied using dynamic susceptibility contrast MRT (DSC), We examined an unselected, random sample of 71 consecutive patients referred for w ork-up of suspected intracranial tumors (35 normal examinations, 36 tu mors) with a standard 1.5 T clinical MR system, Determination of the r CBV was performed with a T-2-weighted simultaneous dual (SD) FLASH se quence (TR/TE1/TE2/alpha = 32/25/16/10 degrees, 55 images) after bolus injection of Gd-DTPA, Absolute quantification of the rCBV was achieve d by normalizing the measured tissue concentration-time curves with th e integrated arterial input function (AIF), which was simultaneously m easured in the brain feeding arteries, The rCBV (mean +/- SD) was 8.4 +/- 2.9 ml/100 g and 4.2 +/- 1.7 ml/100 g in gray and white matter, re spectively, with a decline of about 3% and 6% per decade for white and gray matter, respectively, We conclude that DSC using a SD FLASH sequ ence allows the simultaneous measurement of the AIF and the tissue con centration-time curve and thus an absolute quantification of the rCBV, which is the basis for interperson comparisons and follow-up studies.