Integrative Leakage Correction For Contrast Agent Extravasation In Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC) - MRI

Summary

UCLA researchers in the Department of Radiological Sciences have developed a new technique for more accurately estimating relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) from dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion MRI by improved modeling and correction of contrast agent leakage.

Background

Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion MRI scans are routinely collected on brain tumors, stroke, and traumatic brain injury patients, but accurate estimation of perfusion parameters is confounded due to contrast agent leakage into tissues as a result of changes in blood-brain barrier permeability. Companies such as IB Neuro, Olea Medical, NordicICE, General Electric, and Siemens currently employ a simple leakage correction technique to overcome these challenges. However, the commonly employed contrast agent leakage correction method does not properly correct for contrast agent exchange with surrounding tissues. Therefore, there is need for a better method that more properly corrects for contrast agent leakage in order to improve estimation of perfusion parameters.

Innovation

UCLA researchers have developed an improved model for correcting DSC perfusion MRI contrast leakage. By performing compartmental modeling of contrast agent flux into and out of the vasculature, they demonstrate higher accuracy calculations of relative cerebral volume (rCBV), a parameter often used for clinical management of patients with a variety of neurological disorders. This method can simultaneously calculate dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)- MRI physiological parameters, such as vascular permeability, without a 2nd injection or additional MRI scans. Therefore, this model gains DSC-MRI and DCE-MRI information from only one injection/measurement. Additionally, this method has been shown to lower the variability of perfusion parameter estimations that exists due to differences in the MRI system hardware, software, and acquisition strategies or parameters.

Applications

• Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion MRI 
• Dynamic computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging 
• Brain tumor imaging 
• Stroke and ischemic disease 
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Advantages

• Estimates rCBV, blood flow, and other perfusion parameters with higher accuracy 
• Simultaneously provides additional information about vascular permeability, normally collected using dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI, with only one injection
• Reduces variability across different MRI systems or acquisition parameters

State Of Development

• Stand-alone prototype application for Mac 
• Prototype source code in Matlab 
• Variety of institutions and companies are currently evaluating the prototype

Patent Status

Related Materials

• Leu, K., Boxerman, J.L., and Ellingson, B.M. Effects of MRI Protocol Parameters, Preload Injection Dose, Fractionation Strategies, and Leakage Correction Algorithms on the Fidelity of Dynamic-Susceptibility Contrast MRI Estimates of Relative Cerebral Blood Volume in Gliomas, American Journal of Neuroradiology, 2017.
• Leu, K., Boxerman, J.L., Cloughesy, T.F., Lai, A., Nghiemphu, P.L., Liau, L.M., Pope, W.B., and Ellingson, B.M., Improved leakage correction for single-echo dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion MRI estimates of relative cerebral blood volume in high-grade gliomas by accounting for bidirectional contrast agent exchange, American Journal of Neuroradiology, 2016.
• Leu, K., Boxerman, J.L., Lai, A., Nghiemphu, P.L., Pope, W.B., Cloughesy, T.F., and Ellingson, B.M., Bidirectional Contrast agent leakage correction of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC)-MRI improves cerebral blood volume estimation and survival prediction in recurrent glioblastoma treated with bevacizumab, Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2016.