Quantification of pulmonary perfusion with MR imaging: recent advances

Recent advances in magnetic resonance pulmonary perfusion imaging are revie wed, focusing on magnetic resonance perfusion imaging using gadolinium cont rasts agents or spin labeling of blood using naturally flowing spins as the source of intravascular signal. These recent developments in magnetic reso nance imaging have made it possible to analyze data quantitatively which ho lds significant potential for clinical imaging of lung perfusion and opens windows to functional MR imaging of the lung. We believe that fast magnetic resonance functional imaging will play an important role in the assessment of pulmonary function and the pulmonary disease process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.