LungMaps Protocols for MAGNETOM ScannersAndreas Voskrebenzev, Ph.D.; Filip Klimeš, Ph.D.; Jens Vogel-Claussen, M.D.

Chronic pulmonary diseases (CPD) represent a major global health burden and are the leading cause of death among lung diseases [1]. Each year, more than 55 million new cases are diagnosed worldwide. Approximately 10% of patients affected by CPDs are children*.

CPDs comprise a spectrum of diseases that require continuous surveillance. In this context, assessment of lung function, particularly perfusion (blood flow within the lungs) and ventilation (air flow through the lungs), is of central importance. Nuclear medicine is currently considered the the gold standard for functional lung imaging.

However, when repeated follow-up imaging is required, radiation exposure has to be taken into account, especially in vulnerable groups such as pediatric* patients.

LungMaps is a new proton MRI-based application that provides functional lung information without the need for tracers, contrast agents, or ionizing radiation. It is based on the PREFUL method [2], which has been clinically evaluated across a wide range of patient populations. Although LungMaps is a post-processing application, it relies on a 2D MRI acquisition protocol with sufficient temporal resolution to capture both respiratory- and cardiac-based signal variations in the lungs.