Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI
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J Magn Reson Imaging · Dec 2014
Relationship of MR elastography determined liver stiffness with cardiac function after Fontan palliation.
To use MR elastography to assess liver stiffness in patients with congenital heart disease palliated with the Fontan procedure and correlate findings with cardiac index and other functional parameters obtained during cardiac MRI. ⋯ MRE shows promise as a monitoring tool in the Fontan population, demonstrating an elevated liver stiffness in all patients, which inversely correlated with the MR determined cardiac index.
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J Magn Reson Imaging · Dec 2014
Short-term exercise-induced changes in hydration state of healthy Achilles tendons can be visualized by effects of off-resonant radiofrequency saturation in a three-dimensional ultrashort echo time MRI sequence applied at 3 Tesla.
Off-resonant RF saturation influences signal intensity dependent on free and bound water fractions as well as the macromolecular content. The extent of interaction between these compartments can be evaluated by using the off-resonance saturation ratio (OSR). Combined with UTE sequences quantification of OSR even in tendinous tissues with extremely fast signal decay is possible. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate short-term exercise-induced effects of hydration state of the Achilles tendon by means of OSR and tendon volume. ⋯ The observed decreased tendon volume and increased OSR directly after exercise indicates a short-term change in tendinous proton compartments, most likely a loss of free water molecules within the tendon.