Development of new coronary vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging on Kawasaki disease

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16691
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52040:Radiological sciences-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUMOTO Koji 千葉大学, 医学部附属病院, 主任診療放射線技師 (60745230)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 川崎病 / 磁気共鳴イメージング / MRI / 冠動脈 / 動脈瘤 / 血管壁イメージング / Vessel wall imaging

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to improve vascular wall MRI for coronary artery aneurysms, an important sequela of Kawasaki disease. Conventional methods, such as fast spin-echo imaging, often encountered difficulties in accurately evaluating vascular walls due to thrombus-like artifacts caused by blood flow conditions. Therefore, we developed a T2PSIR-SSFP imaging by adding a T2-preparation pulse to the phase-sensitive inversion-recovery method for coronary artery MRI. We compared this imaging with fast spin-echo imaging using 9 cases and 22 vascular regions. As a result, qualitative assessment of vascular wall delineation showed superior performance of T2PSIR-SSFP images. Furthermore, the T2PSIR-SSFP imaging gave more reproducible results in the quantitative evaluation of vessel lumen area, suggesting the feasibility of vessel wall MRI independent of blood flow conditions.

Free Research Field

Magnetic resonance imaging

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

MRIを用いた血管壁イメージングは、血栓の有無や血管壁の性状を非侵襲的に評価する手法として注目されている。冠動脈用に開発したT2PSIR-SSFP法は、血流状態に依存しない血管壁MRIの手法として、実現可能性が示唆された。川崎病性冠動脈瘤の血管壁MRIの画質改善を通じて、正確な診断方法の確立に寄与し、川崎病後遺症患者の管理が改善することが期待される。