The goal of this study was to assess the ability of quantitative T1 cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging to calculate liver extracellular volume (ECV) in patients with varying degrees of congestive hepatopathy (CH). T1 measurements and ECV calculations were performed retrospectively in three cohorts of patients: normal cardiac function, tetralogy of fallot (TOF) repair and Fontan palliation. All CMR studies included modified look-locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) T1 mapping scans performed pre- and post-injection of a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA). Pixel intensity data were manually collected from images of the liver and cardiac blood pool to determine contrast-induced changes in T1 for liver and blood. These data were then used to compute liver ECV. 172 subjects were included in the study. Of these, 140 subjects were normal cardiac function patients, 16 were TOF repair patients and 16 patients were with Fontan palliation. A statistically significant difference in both the liver native T1 and ECV measurements was found between patients with normal cardiac function vs. Fontan palliation patients (p < 0.01). Our data indicate that measuring T1 maps both pre- and post-GBCA injection within CMR scan session can be used to follow progression of liver fibrosis. This technique has the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic liver disease and liver fibrosis.
Keywords: Congestive hepatopathy; Fontan; Liver fibrosis; Magnetic resonance imaging; T1 maps; Tetralogy of Fallot.