Reproducibility of 19F‐MR ventilation imaging in healthy volunteers. Issue 6 (28th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pippard, Benjamin J.; Neal, Mary A.; Maunder, Adam M.; Hollingsworth, Kieren G.; Biancardi, Alberto; Lawson, Rod A.; Fisher, Holly; Matthews, John N. S.; Simpson, A. John; Wild, Jim M.; Thelwall, Peter E.
• Is Part Of: Magnetic resonance in medicine. Volume 85:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: 3343
• Page End: 3352
• Publication Date: 2021-01-28
• Subjects: 19F‐MRI -- lung -- perfluoropropane -- reproducibility -- ventilation; Nuclear magnetic resonance -- Periodicals; Electron paramagnetic resonance -- Periodicals; 616.07548
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28660
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0740-3194

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: To assess the reproducibility of percentage ventilated lung volume (%VV) measurements in healthy volunteers acquired by fluorine ( 19 F)‐MRI of inhaled perfluoropropane, implemented at two research sites. Methods: In this prospective, ethically approved study, 40 healthy participants were recruited (May 2018‐June 2019) to one of two research sites. Participants underwent a single MRI scan session on a 3T scanner, involving periodic inhalation of a 79% perfluoropropane/21% oxygen gas mixture. Each gas inhalation session lasted about 30 seconds, consisting of three deep breaths of gas followed by a breath‐hold. Four 19 F‐MR ventilation images were acquired per participant, each separated by approximately 6 minutes. The value of %VV was determined by registering separately acquired 1 H images to ventilation images before semi‐automated image segmentation, performed independently by two observers. Reproducibility of %VV measurements was assessed by components of variance, intraclass correlation coefficients, coefficients of variation (CoV), and the Dice similarity coefficient. Results: The MRI scans were well tolerated throughout, with no adverse events. There was a high degree of consistency in %VV measurements for each participant (CoVobserver1 = 0.43%; CoVobserver2 = 0.63%), with overall precision of %VV measurements determined to be within ± 1.7% (95% confidence interval). Interobserver agreement in %VV measurements revealed a high mean Dice similarity coefficient (SD) of 0.97 (0.02), with only minor discrepancies between observers. Conclusion: We demonstrate good reproducibility of %VV measurements in a group of healthy participants using 19 F‐MRI of inhaled perfluoropropane. Our methods have been successfully implemented across two different study sites, supporting the feasibility of performing larger multicenter clinical studies.