Hepatic artery and portal vein selective non-contrast MR perfusion in the liver

Motivation: Non-invasive non-contrast liver assessment is vital for patients who cannot use contrast agents. Non-contrast ASL assessment to separate hepatic artery (HA) and portal vein (PV) perfusion in the liver is clinically important. Goal(s): To optimize non-contrast ASL for liver perfusion, addressing motion artifacts and HA/PV separation. Approach: Free-breathing HA and PV selective labeling is performed multiple TI times. Results: The study identifies two distinct blood flow patterns: early sharp HA perfusion and slow broad PV perfusion. Initial results demonstrate the potential for quantitative perfusion measurement and the possibility of diagnosing liver disease. Impact: Current methods like dynamic contrast-enhancement require the use of contrast agents to measure arterial and portal blood flow. We propose a novel non-invasive non-contrast alternative, enabling separate assessments of HA and PV perfusion, making liver diagnostics safer and more accessible.