Multicenter Validation of the Magnetic Resonance T2* Technique for Segmental and Global Quantification of Myocardial Iron

Purpose: To assess the transferability of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) multislice multiecho T2* technique for global and segmental measurement of iron overload in thalassemia patients. Materials and Methods: Multiecho T2* sequences were installed on six MRI scanners. Five healthy subjects (n 30) were scanned at each site; five thalassemia major (TM) patients were scanned at the reference site and were rescanned locally (n 25) within 1 month. T2* images were analyzed using previously validated software. Results: T2* values of healthy subjects showed intersite homogeneity. On TM patients, for global heart T2* values the correlation coefficient was 0.97, coefficients of variation (CoVs) ranged from 0.04-0.12, and intraclass coefficients (ICCs) ranged from 0.94-0.99. The mean CoV and ICC for segmental T2* distribution were 0.198 and 88, respectively. Conclusion: The multislice multiecho T2* technique is transferable among scanners with good reproducibility.