Introducing clinically approved 7T MAGNETOM Terra, together with suitable RF coils and sequences, was an important step for X-nuclei imaging, which benefits from the increased SNR and resultant higher spatial resolution or shorter acquisition time. This paves the way for 23Na MRI to move from research into clinical applications. Tissue sodium concentration might evolve into a useful biomarker for a large variety of diseases such as kidney diseases, muscular diseases, and neurodegeneration. Moreover, MR of other nuclei such as 39K and 31P could become possible in a clinical environment with feasible measurement times. Compared with morphological 1H MRI, these nuclei provide additional information that will provide insights into many physiologically relevant processes, resulting in various potential clinical research applications.
X-Nuclei MRI on a 7T MAGNETOM Terra: Initial Experiences
Armin M. Nagel et al.
(Institute of Medical Physics and Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany)