Assessment of the evaluation of liver T1 mapping imaging applying virtual ECG gating on a modified look-locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) pulse sequence

A T1 mapping calculation error may occur in a physicochemical environment with large relaxivity. We evaluated through a simulated electrocardiogram (ECG) the administration of a contrast with high relaxivity and its effect on the heart rate by using a modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) pulse sequence. The agarose 2% phantom of high relaxivity environment was developed by diluting gadoxetic acid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1 contrast media. The gold standard T1 determination was based on coronal single section imaging with a 2D inversion-recovery turbo spin echo sequence (2D-IRTSE) in a 3T MR unit. Using the identical 3T MR scanner, we acquired T1 mapping for the MOLLI pulse sequence with various virtual heart rates. T1 mapping data of the two different pulse sequences (i.e., 2D-IRTSE and MOLLI) were measured to investigate the accuracy and the specificity. An in vivo study was conducted in the same manner as the phantom experiments for liver T1 mapping imaging in three healthy volunteers. The MOLLI pulse sequence showed an error rate of less than 10% at a contrast agent concentration of 0.4 mmol/L, and significant error, compared with the reference value, was observed at 0.6 mmol/L or higher. The percentage error of the T1 value did not correlated with the RR (i.e., the time between heart beats) change that was observed (P =.270). Based on the in-vivo liver test, T1 mapping imaging of an abdominal organ as the liver can be successfully achieved using the applied virtual ECG gating on the MOLLI sequence.