Improved contrast agent bolus tracking using T-1 FARM

Current MRI bolus tracking techniques, such as saturation recovery Turbo-FL ASH (srTFL), suffer from signal saturation at high contrast concentrations. In this study T-1 Fast Acquisition Relaxation Mapping (T-1 FARM) was compa red to srTFL. In phantoms, T-1 FARM maps were linear with [Gd-DTPA] up to 7 .0 mmol/L while srTFL images saturated above 2.0 mmol/L, in the canine left ventricle, blood concentration curves determined from T-1 FARM saturated w ith bolus injections exceeding 0.075 mmol/kg, while srTFL curves saturated above 0.025 mmol/kg of Gd-DTPA, Also, T-1 FARM improved contrast-to-noise r atio in tissue concentration curves since higher contrast concentrations co uld be measured without saturating. Magn Reson Med 41:429-435, 1999. (C) 19 99 Wiley-Liss, Inc.