Human Eye Magnetic Resonance Imaging Relaxometry in Diabetic Retinopathy

Two quantitative ocular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods for the clinical use in Ophthalmology and Radiology were developed. Ocular MRI images with spatio-temporal resoultions of 0.78/1.56/2/(5 to 84) mm/mm/mm/s were acquired from patients with diabetic retinopathy and normal subjects using a 1 T MRI system. T1 and T2 MRI relaxometry maps were generated offline from the MRI images acquired. Statistically significant differences between the T1 values of the normal and diseaseaffected groups were found. Useful qualitative and quantitative ophthalmological, radiological and surgical information covering the whole eye can be achieved using noninvazive MRI techniques.