A simplified spin and gradient echo approach for brain tumor perfusion imaging.

PURPOSE: In this study, we propose a simplified acquisition and analysis approach for spin and gradient echo (SAGE)-based dynamic susceptibility-contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) data that is free of contrast agent T1 leakage effects.
METHODS: A five-echo SAGE sequence was used to acquire DSC-MRI data in rat C6 tumors (n = 7). Nonlinear fitting of all echoes was performed to obtain T1-insensitive ΔR2* and ΔR2 time series. The simplified approach, which includes two gradient echoes and one spin echo, was also used to analytically compute T1-insensitive ΔR2* using the two gradient echoes and ΔR2 using all three echoes. The blood flow, blood volume, and vessel size values derived from each method were compared.
RESULTS: In all cases, the five-echo and simplified SAGE ΔR2* and ΔR2 were in excellent agreement and demonstrated significant T1 leakage correction compared with the uncorrected single-echo data. The derived hemodynamic parameters for blood volume, blood flow, and vessel size were not significantly different between the two methods.
CONCLUSIONS: The proposed simplified SAGE technique enables the acquisition of gradient and spin echo DSC-MRI data corrected for T1 leakage effects yields parameters that are in agreement with the five-echo SAGE approach and does not require nonlinear fitting to extract ΔR2* and ΔR2 time series.