Lowering the Field and Raising the Bar: Unmet Needs in Lung Imaging
Lea Azour1
1Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Body: Lung

We will review current work describing the applications of MRI in the lung, and our work investigating inter-modality concordance of low-field MRI with CT, and the inter-reader reliability, for evaluation of pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities. Secondarily, we will explore the functional imaging data that may be concurrently acquired. Future applications include use of low-field MRI for surveillance of chronic lung disease, derivation of respiratory pattern quantification, and regional and global ventilation perfusion quantification.

Objectives

  • Share rationale for low-field MRI in the lung
  • Review current progress in lung MRI
  • Explore anticipated and ideal use cases for low-field lung MRI

Purpose

Address unmet needs in lung imaging generally, and lung magnetic resonance imaging specifically

Concepts

  • Current gold standard CT lung imaging most commonly provides only morphologic data. Radiomics, dual energy, and dynamic imaging can provide some quantitative data, yet is not clinically utilized
  • MR imaging in the lungs has not reached clinical application at traditional field strengths for the majority of lung pathologies, though advances in imaging techniques have improved capabilities
  • Low-field strength MRI may be uniquely beneficial to the imaging of lung parenchyma. We will review current work describing the applications of MRI in the lung, and our work investigating inter-modality concordance of low-field MRI with CT, and the inter-reader reliability, for evaluation of pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities. Secondarily, we will explore the functional imaging data that may be concurrently acquired.
  • Future applications include use of low-field MRI for surveillance of chronic lung disease, derivation of respiratory pattern quantification, and regional and global ventilation perfusion quantification.

Synopsis

This session will discuss the unmet needs in lung imaging, and how low-field MRI can bolster the applicability and availability of lung magnetic resonance imaging--providing combined morphofunctional pulmonary assessment, and better patient access.

Acknowledgements

  • NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health Radiology and Pulmonary Teams
  • Funding from NIH/NIBIB 2P41EB017183-06 and NHLBI 1R0 HL163604-01A1
  • Team: Hersh Chandarana MD, Rany Condos MD, Daniel Sterman MD, Mahesh Bharath Keerthivasan PhD, Leopoldo Segal MD, Nicholas Landini MD PhD, William Moore MD, Terlika Pandit Sood PhD, Mary Bruno, James Babb PhD, Priya Bhattacharji

References

  1. Campbell-Washburn AE, Ramasawmy R, Restivo MC, et al. Opportunities in Interventional and Diagnostic Imaging by Using High-Performance Low-Field-Strength MRI. Radiology. Radiological Society of North America Inc.; 2019;293(2):384–393http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.2019190452.
  2. Azour L, Condos R, Keerthivasan MB, et al. Low-field 0.55 T MRI for assessment of pulmonary groundglass and fibrosis-like opacities: Inter-reader and inter-modality concordance. Eur J Radiol. Elsevier; 2022;156:110515https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0720048X22003655.
Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 31 (2023)