Assessment of Repeatability of Hyperpolarized Gas MR Ventilation Functional Imaging in Cystic Fibrosis

Our results indicate that total ventilation volume, ventilation defect volume, ventilation defect percentage, and mean ventilation heterogeneity as assessed by HP gas MRI in CF patients with stable health are reproducible over time. This repeatability and the technique's capability to provide noninvasive high-resolution data on regional lung function without ionizing radiation make 3He MRI a potentially useful outcome measure for CF-related clinical trials.