Comparative study between black blood T2∗ and conventional bright GRE sequences in assessment of myocardial iron concentration

PurposeTo compare the efficacy and reproducibility of black blood T2∗ to the conventional bright blood sequence in the assessment of myocardial iron concentration.Materials and methodsWe performed both conventional bright blood and black blood MRI T2∗ sequences in 50 thalassemia major patients, the results were statistically analyzed to assess the correlation of techniques, study reproducibility and interobserver agreement.ResultsCardiac T2∗ values ranged from 2.39 to 47.9 ms using bright blood sequence and 2.07 to 46.81 using the black blood sequence. There was positive significant correlation of both sequences in all patients. However the black blood technique was superior to bright blood technique as regards the study reproducibility (R2∗1.9 ±  versus 2.4 ± 14.7 p < 0.001) in addition to the better inter-observer agreement of black blood technique compared to the bright blood technique (3.2 ± 1.2 versus 8.3 ± 2.4 p < 0.001).ConclusionsBlack blood T2∗ technique provides clearly defined septal borders, avoids bright blood signal contamination of the myocardium, has superior study reproducibility and inter-observer agreement which favors this technique in the assessment of iron myocardial concentration.