Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a novel MRI technique for the measurement of tissue magnetic susceptibility in three dimensions. Although numerous algorithms have been developed to solve this ill-posed inverse problem, the estimation of susceptibility maps with a wide range of values is still problematic. In cases such as large veins, contrast agent uptake and intracranial hemorrhages, extreme susceptibility values in focal areas cause severe streaking artifacts. To enable the reduction of these artifacts, whilst preserving subtle susceptibility contrast, a two-level QSM reconstruction algorithm (streaking artifact reduction for QSM, STAR-QSM) was developed in this study by tuning a regularization parameter to automatically reconstruct both large and small susceptibility values. Compared with current state-of-the-art QSM methods, such as the improved sparse linear equation and least-squares (iLSQR) algorithm, STAR-QSM significantly reduced the streaking artifacts, whilst preserving the sharp boundaries for blood vessels of mouse brains in vivo and fine anatomical details of high-resolution mouse brains ex vivo. Brain image data from patients with cerebral hematoma and multiple sclerosis further illustrated the superiority of this method in reducing streaking artifacts caused by large susceptibility sources, whilst maintaining sharp anatomical details. STAR-QSM is implemented in STI Suite, a comprehensive shareware for susceptibility imaging and quantification.

BACKGROUND:Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) offers a consistent hemorrhage volume measurement independent of imaging parameters. PURPOSE:To investigate the magnetic susceptibility of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) as a quantitative measurement for monitoring treatment in hematoma patients. STUDY TYPE:Prospective. POPULATION:Twenty-six patients with acute ICH were recruited and enrolled in treatment including surgery or medication (mannitol) for 1 week. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE:A 3D gradient echo sequence at 3.0T. ASSESSMENT:The hematoma volumes on computed tomography (CT) and QSM were calculated and used for correlation analysis. Magnetic susceptibility changes from pre- to posttreatment were calculated and compared to the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) measure of neurological deficit for each patient. STATISTICAL TESTS:Mean susceptibility values were calculated over each region of interest (ROI). A one-sample t-test was used to assess the changes of total volumes and mean magnetic susceptibility of ICH identified between pre- and posttreatment images (P < 0.05 was considered significant) and the Bland-Altman analysis with 95% limits of agreement (average difference, ±1.96 SD of the difference). Regression of volume measurements on QSM vs. CT and fitted linear regression of mean susceptibility vs. CT signal intensity for hematoma regions were conducted in all patients. RESULTS:Good correlation was found between hemorrhage volumes calculated from CT and QSM (CT volume = 0.94*QSM volume, r = 0.98). Comparison of QSM pre- and posttreatment showed that the mean ICH volume was reduced by a statistically insignificant amount from 5.74 cm3 to 5.45 cm3 (P = 0.21), while mean magnetic susceptibility was reduced significantly from 0.48 ppm to 0.38 ppm (P = 0.004). A significant positive association was found between changes in magnetic susceptibility values and NIHSS following hematoma treatment (P < 0.01). DATA CONCLUSIONS:QSM in hematoma assessment, as compared with CT, offers a comparably accurate volume measurement; however, susceptibility measurements may enable improved monitoring of ICH treatment compared to volume measurements alone. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;48:907-915.