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Abstract:
PCASL can quantitively measure pulmonary blood flow and detect pulmonary embolism. However, patients suffering from lung embolisms are usually unable to follow breathing commands required for optimal imaging. In this study, the influence of respiratory states on pulmonary perfusion measured with PCASL was investigated. Nineteen healthy volunteers were studied with an ECG-triggered PCASL sequence in a test-retest design. It was found that mean perfusion was highest during expiration, followed by free breathing and lowest in inspiration. A significant difference was observed between the maximal inspiration and expiration breath-hold conditions. Perfusion values acquired by PCASL in the lung parenchyma showed high reproducibility.