Interstudy reproducibility of SSFP Cine magnetic resonance: Impact of magnetic field strength and parallel imaging

Purpose: To study the effects of field strength and parallel imaging on image contrast and interstudy reproducibility of right and left ventricular (RV and LV) measurements using steady-state free precession (SSFP) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Materials and Methods: Thirty-two subjects (20 normal, 12 cardiac patients) underwent four SSFP cine short-axis imaging studies: two at 1.5T, one at 3T, and another at 3T with parallel imaging (SENSE). RV and LV contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were compared between methods. Interstudy reproducibility of RV and LV measurements were assessed by Bland-Altman analyses. Results: 3T SENSE imaging reduced total imaging time from 8 +/- 2 minutes to 3 +/- 1 minute (P < 0.001). A significant gain in LV CNR was detected between 1.5T and 3T with SENSE (43.8 +/- 6.5 vs. 48.4 +/- 7.4, P = 0.01), but no significant gain was detected in RV CNR. The reproducibility of LV and RV measurements between two 1.5T studies was not significantly different from the reproducibility between a 1.5T study and a 3T study with SENSE. Conclusion: SENSE imaging at 3T is a reproducible technique for assessing RV and LV structure and function.