Models and methods for analyzing DCE-MRI: a review.

PURPOSE: To present a review of most commonly used techniques to analyze dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), discusses their strengths and weaknesses, and outlines recent clinical applications of findings from these approaches. METHODS: DCE-MRI allows for noninvasive quantitative analysis of contrast agent (CA) transient in soft tissues. Thus, it is an important and well-established tool to reveal microvasculature and perfusion in various clinical applications. In the last three decades, a host of nonparametric and parametric models and methods have been developed in order to quantify the CA's perfusion into tissue and estimate perfusion-related parameters (indexes) from signal- or concentration-time curves. These indexes are widely used in various clinical applications for the detection, characterization, and therapy monitoring of different diseases. RESULTS: Promising theoretical findings and experimental results for the reviewed models and techniques in a variety of clinical applications suggest that DCE-MRI is a clinically relevant imaging modality, which can be used for early diagnosis of different diseases, such as breast and prostate cancer, renal rejection, and liver tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Both nonparametric and parametric approaches for DCE-MRI analysis possess the ability to quantify tissue perfusion.