OBJECTIVE: To compare ventricular systolic parameters on segmented and real-time steady-state free precession cine-MRI sequences and ECG-gated MRI in patients presenting or not with cardiac arrhythmias. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ejection fraction and end-diastolic/end-systolic volumes have been compared in 31 patients, 11 presenting with cardiac arrhythmias, and 20 with regular sinus rhythm, using ECG-gated segmented and real-time sequences. The statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation and Bland-Altman agreement plot, with p < 0.01. RESULTS: Real-time acquisitions demonstrated endocardial borders blurring effects, but both sequences presented a clear, positive correlation: ejection fraction r = 0.94; end-diastolic volume r = 0.93 and end-systolic volume r = 0.98. The assessment of 11 patients with arrhythmias has not demonstrated a statistically significant difference, despite the lower blood pool-myocardial contrast ratio. CONCLUSION: Real-time sequences may be utilized for cardiac function assessment, regardless the patient's cardiac rhythm.
Cine-RMI; Ventricular function; Steady-state free precession; Real-time; ECG-gated MRI
