Free-breathing PREFUL-MRI of the lungs at 0.55T detects functional alterations in patients with lung lesions

Motivation: PREFUL-MRI offers assessment of lung ventilation function, providing guidance for treatment and follow-up. Goal(s): To explore whether PREFUL-MRI of the lungs at 0.55T can detect functional alterations in patients with lung lesions. Approach: Thirty-two patients with lung lesions were prospectively scanned in free-breathing mode using a TrueFisp sequence optimized for a 0.55T MR system before undergoing computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung mass aspiration biopsy. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess relationships between PREFUL-MRI-derived ventilation parameters and pulmonary function test results. Results: Significant correlations were observed between PREFUL-MRI-derived ventilation parameters and pulmonary function test outcomes. Impact: This exploratory study demonstrates the potential of free-breathing PREFUL-MRI at 0.55T in identifying functional abnormalities in patients with pulmonary lesions, suggesting its utility as a follow-up tool.