Hyperpolarized noble gas MR imaging of the lung: Potential clinical applications

Hyperpolarized noble gases are a new class of MR contrast agent. Since the first hyperpolarized gas MR images of the lung were reported, there has bee n considerable interest in using hyperpolarized gas to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution images of the air spaces of the lung. In addition t o static images of lung ventilation, new techniques are being developed usi ng hyperpolarized gas to obtain dynamic, diffusion and oxygen concentration images of the lung. In this article, we review the potential clinical appl ications of pulmonary hyperpolarized gas MRI and discuss the preliminary fi ndings in a variety of lung diseases. Hyperpolarized gas MRI has the potent ial to provide a comprehensive morphologic and functional assessment of the lung. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.