"Black Blood" T2-weighted Inversion-recovery MR Imaging of the Heart

Purpose: To develop a short-inversion-time inversion-recovery (STIR) magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence for evaluating the myocardium that is relatively free of flow and motion artifact.

Materials And Methods: The authors implemented a breath-hold, cardiac-triggered STIR sequence with preparatory radio-frequency pulses to eliminate signal from flowing blood. A segmented rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (turbo spin echo) readout was used, with the inversion-recovery delay adjusted to null fat. The sequence was implemented at 1.0 and 1.5 T and tested in phantoms, five healthy volunteers, and three patients.

Results: Phantom studies confirmed the expected behavior of the sequence. In the volunteers, fat-suppressed images of the heart with STIR contrast were generated in a breath-hold period. Blood in the heart chambers was uniformly nulled, and motion artifacts were effectively suppressed. Focal high signal intensity consistent with edema was seen in two patients with acute myocardial infarction; in a third patient, a paracardiac mass was visualized and sharply demarcated relative to normal myocardium.

Conclusion: Fast STIR imaging of the heart with effective suppression of flow and motion artifacts was implemented. The approach has much potential for high-contrast imaging in a variety of diseases affecting the heart and mediastinum.