Left Ventricle: Cardiac Function

Purpose: assess LV mass, ejection fraction, wall thickness

   Series 1  Series 2  Series 3  Series 4  Series 5
Name  axial scout  long axis scout  4 chamber  short axis  horizontal/ vertical long axis
sequence  segmented k-space (FASTCARD)  segmented k-space (FASTCARD)  segmented k-space (FASTCARD)  segmented k-space (FASTCARD)

 segmented k-space

(FASTCARD)
 TR  min  min  min  min  min
 TE  min  min  min  min  min
flip angle  20  20  20  20  20
 slice thickness  10  10  10  6  6
 slice gap  0  0  0  4  4
frequency 256 256 256 256 256
phase 128 128 128 128 128
NVS  32  32  32 8-10*  8-10*
 bandwidth  32  32  32  32  32
 FOV  40  40  40; 3/4  34 adj, 3/4  34 adj, 3/4
 options  flow comp  flow comp  flow comp  flow comp  flow comp

Instructions: Obtain all images at resting lung volume:

Series 1; rapid axial scout through the mid left ventricle, 8 slices, breath-hold

Series 2: rapid pseuodo long axis scout. Prescribe 2 slices, oriented along a plane from the apex to the middle of the mitral valve

Series 3: 4 chamber view: prescribe 2 slices, oriented along a plane from the apex to the middle of mitral valve

Series 4: prescribe 8-10 short axis views from the apex through the base of the heart, extending just past the mitral valve

Series 5: prescribe vertical and horizontal long axis views, from a mid-ventricular short axis slice.

*Adjusting NVS (number of views per segment)

Guidelines: higher NVS results in shorter breath-holds, but decreased time resolution as follows:

 Heart rate NVS breath-hold Time resolution
60 8-10 16-13 sec  46-60
 90 6-8 14-10 sec  36-48
120 4-6 16-10 sec  24-36

Time resolution is stated without view sharing and with TR = 6 msec.