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Dynamic fetal cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging using Doppler ultrasound gating

Kording, Fabian ; Yamamura, Jin ; De Sousa, Manuela Tavares ; Ruprecht, Christian ; Hedström, Erik LU orcid ; Aletras, Anthony H. LU orcid ; Ellen Grant, P. ; Powell, Andrew J. ; Fehrs, Kai and Adam, Gerhard , et al. (2018) In Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 20(1).
Abstract

Background: Fetal cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging may provide a valuable adjunct to fetal echocardiography in the evaluation of congenital cardiovascular pathologies. However, dynamic fetal CMR is difficult due to the lack of direct in-utero cardiac gating. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a newly developed Doppler ultrasound (DUS) device in humans for fetal CMR gating. Methods: Fifteen fetuses (gestational age 30-39 weeks) were examined using 1.5 T CMR scanners at three different imaging sites. A newly developed CMR-compatible DUS device was used to generate gating signals from fetal cardiac motion. Gated dynamic balanced steady-state free precession images were acquired in 4-chamber and... (More)

Background: Fetal cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging may provide a valuable adjunct to fetal echocardiography in the evaluation of congenital cardiovascular pathologies. However, dynamic fetal CMR is difficult due to the lack of direct in-utero cardiac gating. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a newly developed Doppler ultrasound (DUS) device in humans for fetal CMR gating. Methods: Fifteen fetuses (gestational age 30-39 weeks) were examined using 1.5 T CMR scanners at three different imaging sites. A newly developed CMR-compatible DUS device was used to generate gating signals from fetal cardiac motion. Gated dynamic balanced steady-state free precession images were acquired in 4-chamber and short-axis cardiac views. Gating signals during data acquisition were analyzed with respect to trigger variability and sensitivity. Image quality was assessed by measuring endocardial blurring (EB) and by image evaluation using a 4-point scale. Left ventricular (LV) volumetry was performed using the single-plane ellipsoid model. Results: Gating signals from the fetal heart were detected with a variability of 26 ± 22 ms and a sensitivity of trigger detection of 96 ± 4%. EB was 2.9 ± 0.6 pixels (4-chamber) and 2.5 ± 0.1 pixels (short axis). Image quality scores were 3.6 ± 0.6 (overall), 3.4 ± 0.7 (mitral valve), 3.4 ± 0.7 (foramen ovale), 3.6 ± 0.7 (atrial septum), 3.7 ± 0.5 (papillary muscles), 3.8 ± 0.4 (differentiation myocardium/lumen), 3.7 ± 0.5 (differentiation myocardium/lung), and 3.9 ± 0.4 (systolic myocardial thickening). Inter-observer agreement for the scores was moderate to very good (kappa 0.57-0.84) for all structures. LV volumetry revealed mean values of 2.8 ± 1.2 ml (end-diastolic volume), 0.9 ± 0.4 ml (end systolic volume), 1.9 ± 0.8 ml (stroke volume), and 69.1 ± 8.4% (ejection fraction). Conclusion: High-quality dynamic fetal CMR was successfully performed using a newly developed DUS device for direct fetal cardiac gating. This technique has the potential to improve the utility of fetal CMR in the evaluation of congenital pathologies.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cardiac-gated imaging techniques, Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, Cine MRI, Doppler ultrasound, Fetal heart
in
Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
volume
20
issue
1
article number
17
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85043571713
  • pmid:29530064
ISSN
1097-6647
DOI
10.1186/s12968-018-0440-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c9f6e034-0b15-43f6-996e-ef5f7c10caf1
date added to LUP
2018-03-29 10:55:17
date last changed
2024-04-01 01:49:25
@article{c9f6e034-0b15-43f6-996e-ef5f7c10caf1,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Fetal cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging may provide a valuable adjunct to fetal echocardiography in the evaluation of congenital cardiovascular pathologies. However, dynamic fetal CMR is difficult due to the lack of direct in-utero cardiac gating. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a newly developed Doppler ultrasound (DUS) device in humans for fetal CMR gating. Methods: Fifteen fetuses (gestational age 30-39 weeks) were examined using 1.5 T CMR scanners at three different imaging sites. A newly developed CMR-compatible DUS device was used to generate gating signals from fetal cardiac motion. Gated dynamic balanced steady-state free precession images were acquired in 4-chamber and short-axis cardiac views. Gating signals during data acquisition were analyzed with respect to trigger variability and sensitivity. Image quality was assessed by measuring endocardial blurring (EB) and by image evaluation using a 4-point scale. Left ventricular (LV) volumetry was performed using the single-plane ellipsoid model. Results: Gating signals from the fetal heart were detected with a variability of 26 ± 22 ms and a sensitivity of trigger detection of 96 ± 4%. EB was 2.9 ± 0.6 pixels (4-chamber) and 2.5 ± 0.1 pixels (short axis). Image quality scores were 3.6 ± 0.6 (overall), 3.4 ± 0.7 (mitral valve), 3.4 ± 0.7 (foramen ovale), 3.6 ± 0.7 (atrial septum), 3.7 ± 0.5 (papillary muscles), 3.8 ± 0.4 (differentiation myocardium/lumen), 3.7 ± 0.5 (differentiation myocardium/lung), and 3.9 ± 0.4 (systolic myocardial thickening). Inter-observer agreement for the scores was moderate to very good (kappa 0.57-0.84) for all structures. LV volumetry revealed mean values of 2.8 ± 1.2 ml (end-diastolic volume), 0.9 ± 0.4 ml (end systolic volume), 1.9 ± 0.8 ml (stroke volume), and 69.1 ± 8.4% (ejection fraction). Conclusion: High-quality dynamic fetal CMR was successfully performed using a newly developed DUS device for direct fetal cardiac gating. This technique has the potential to improve the utility of fetal CMR in the evaluation of congenital pathologies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kording, Fabian and Yamamura, Jin and De Sousa, Manuela Tavares and Ruprecht, Christian and Hedström, Erik and Aletras, Anthony H. and Ellen Grant, P. and Powell, Andrew J. and Fehrs, Kai and Adam, Gerhard and Kooijman, Hendrik and Schoennagel, Bjoern P.}},
  issn         = {{1097-6647}},
  keywords     = {{Cardiac-gated imaging techniques; Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging; Cine MRI; Doppler ultrasound; Fetal heart}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance}},
  title        = {{Dynamic fetal cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging using Doppler ultrasound gating}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12968-018-0440-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12968-018-0440-4}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}