The effect of image registration on pharmacokinetic parameter extraction using 3D DCE-MRI

Introduction: Residual patient motion between images in breath-hold DCE-MRI may compromise image analysis such as the extraction of pharmacokinetic parameters. This work analyses results of the Progressive Principal Component Registration (PPCR) algorithm [1] on six 3D DCE-MRI datasets. These datasets are acquired at a temporal resolution of 12s consisting of a 6s breath-hold volume acquisition and a further 6s breathing interval. Passage of the contrast agent bolus is particularly well defined in these datasets demonstrating the bolus passage through the heart and two defined periods of hepatic enhancement. Since these images are acquired at breath-hold, motion between subsequent time-points due to breath-hold depth inconsistency remains a problem and may impact on pharmacokinetic analysis.