T1 Mapping of the Gadolinium-Enhanced Myocardium: Adjustment for Factors Affecting Interpatient Comparison

Quantitative T-1 mapping of delayed gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has shown promise in identifying diffuse myocardial fibrosis. Despite careful control of magnetic resonance imaging parameters, comparison of T-1 times between different patients may be problematic because of patient specific factors such as gadolinium dose, differing glomerular filtration rates, and patient specific delay times. In this work, a model driven approach to account for variations between patients to allow for comparison of T-1 data is provided. Kinetic model parameter values were derived from healthy volunteer time-contrast curves. Correction values for the factors described above were used to normalize T-1 values to a matched state. Examples of pre- and postcorrected values for a pool of normal subjects and in a patient cohort of type 1 diabetic patients shows tighter clustering and improved discrimination of disease state. Magn Reson Med 65:1407-1415, 2011. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.