STROBE—A preliminary investigation of IVIM-DWI in cardiac imaging

This study aims to explore the possibility to apply intravoxel incoherent motion-magnetic resonance imaging (IVIM-MRI) in cardiac imaging. Multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence scanning was performed on 12 healthy volunteers. A double exponential model was adopted, and the b-value sequence was 0, 20, 60, 80, 120, 200, and 600 second/mm(2). The D-value, D∗-value, and f-value of the anterior posterior and lateral walls of the ventricular septum were respectively measured on the short axis section of the heart, the parameters of the myocardium in different blood supply areas in each segment were recorded, and the measured data of these different segments were compared using analysis of variance. Among these 12 healthy volunteers, the D-value, D∗-value, and f-value of these 72 segments were not exactly equal, the D-values of the myocardium in the 5th and 11th segment were lower than those in the 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 9th segments, and the pairwise differences were statistically significant (P < .001). Furthermore, the difference in D-value between the 5th and 11th segments was not statistically significant (P = 1.000). The D∗-value and f-value of the myocardium in the 5th and 11th segment were higher than those in the 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 9th segments, and the pairwise differences were statistically significant (P < .001). Furthermore, the differences in D∗-value and f-value between the 5th and 11th segments was not statistically significant (P = .214, .787). The intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) technique can quantitatively reflect the diffusion and blood perfusion status of the myocardium.