Summary of recommended acquisition parameters for DSC perfusion imaging
| Acquisition Parameter | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Pulse sequence | Generally GRE-EPI rather than SE-EPI |
| TR | 1.0–1.5 seconds (SE-EPI); minimum (vs “as short as possible”) for GRE-EPI; generally 1.0–1.5 seconds |
| TE | 40–45 ms at 1.5T; 25–35 ms at 3T |
| Flip angle | 60°–70° |
| Temporal coverage | 120 Time points |
| Preload Gd-based contrast agent dose (particularly for studies performed with a high flip angle) | One-fourth to single dose (0.025–0.1 mmol/kg Gd), given 5–10 minutes prior to dynamic imaging |
| Slice thickness | 3–5 mm |
| Matrix | 128 × 128 (range, 64 × 64 to 256 × 256) |
| FOV | 20 × 20 cm (range, 20 × 20 to 24 × 24 cm) |
| IV catheter gauge | 18- to 20-ga antecubital IV, right arm preferred |
| Injection rate | 3–5 mL/s |
| Total acquisition time | Approximately 2 minutes |
Note:—Gd indicates gadolinium.