부산대학교 도서관

ABSTRACT: Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI is useful for diagnosis, treatment monitoring and follow-up of prostate cancer. However, large differences have been reported in the parameter range of the transfer constant K, making longitudinal studies and comparison of DCE-MRI findings between studies difficult. Large part of this inconsistency in K values can be attributed to problems with the accurate measurement of the arterial input function (AIF) from the magnitude signal (AIFMAGN). Phase-based AIF measurements (AIFPHASE) have been proposed as a more robust alternative to AIFMAGN measurements. This study compares AIFPHASE with AIFs measured with DCE-CT (AIFCT), and the corresponding K maps in 12 prostate cancer patients. The shape of AIFPHASE and AIFCT are similar, although differences in the peak height and peak width exist as a result of differences in injection protocol. No significant differences in K values were found between the DCE-MRI and DCE-CT exams, with median K values of 0.10 and 0.08 min for healthy peripheral zone tissue and 0.44 and 0.36 min for regions suspected of tumor respectively. Therefore, robust quantification of K values from DCE-MRI exams in the cancerous prostate is feasible with the use of AIFPHASE. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.