Improved Myocardial Scar Visualization with Two-minute Free-breathing Joint Bright- and Black-blood Late Gadolinium Enhancement Imaging

Abstract

Black-blood late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) techniques are increasingly being used to uncover myocardial scar patterns that may be otherwise confused with blood signal on conventional bright-blood LGE, especially when involving the subendocardium. With signal-attenuated blood and dark muscle representation, these techniques may however be hampered by a lack of anatomical information, making spatial localization of myocardial injuries a challenging task. Here we aim to assess the clinical performance of a novel LGE technique that combines both bright- and black-blood imaging in a single time-efficient free-breathing exam to obtain LGE images with unprecedented scar contrast and localization.