Assessing the reliability of DP and Fermi estimates in single and dual bolus cardiac MR perfusion imaging

Background MR dual bolus (DB) perfusion imaging has been effectively shown to eliminate signal saturation of the arterial input function (AIF) and allow more reliable quantification of myocardial (Myo) blood flow (MBF). Single bolus (SB) protocols are prone to AIF signal saturation but have been widely used in clinical studies. The Fermi model has been well established for MBF quantification. The distributed parameter (DP) model has been implemented in a recent study to measure additional physiological parameters (PP) such as intravascular (vb) and extravascular-extracellular space (ve) of the coronary arteries (CAs). Our study aims to a) validate absolute values, correlations and differences between SB versus DB estimates and b) assess which model more reliably fits SB data.