129Xe ventilation and 1H anatomical MRI after lung transplant

Motivation: More sensitive techniques are needed to detect declining lung function in patients after lung transplant. Goal(s): To assess ventilation and structural abnormalities in patients after lung transplant. Approach: 14 lung transplant recipients were assessed with 129Xe ventilation MRI, 1H structural MRI, lung clearance index (LCI) and spirometry. Results: 129Xe ventilation MRI can be used to identify ventilation defects in lung transplant patients and structural abnormalities were detected with 1H MRI in some patients. Most lung transplant patients had 129Xe MRI and LCI ventilation abnormalities even when post-transplant FEV1 was preserved. Impact: 129Xe ventilation MRI and lung clearance index could be used for more sensitive monitoring of lung function after lung transplant.