Optimization and evaluation of the signal intensity change in multisectionoxygen-enhanced MR lung imaging

The behavior of the signal intensity in MRI of human lungs was investigated during inhalation of pure oxygen. Nine volunteers were examined, five usin g a breath-hold and four using a non-breath-hold technique. Four coronal sl ices were acquired in each volunteer using an inversion recovery turbo spin -echo sequence. The inversion time of the sequence was optimized for maximu m contrast. Breathing of pure oxygen and room air was alternated in the vol unteers. Breath-hold and non-breath-hold cases were compared. Breathing pur e oxygen lead to a statistically significant signal intensity increase (up to 18%) compared to breathing room air, in addition, T-1 maps were acquired during breathing 100% oxygen and room air. Inhalation of pure oxygen reduc ed the mean T-1 time of the lungs from 1280 (+/-85) msec to 1224 (+/-139) m sec without breath-hold and from 1219 (+/-176) to 1074 (+/-92) msec with br eath-hold. Therefore, an optimized sequence and measurement protocol provid ed significant signal intensity changes utilizing 100% oxygen. Magn Reson M ed 43: 860-866, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.