Assessment of lower limb lesions in diabetic patients utilizing BOLD-MRI at 7T: a feasibility study

Motivation: BOLD-MRI offers a sensitive and non-invasive way for the quantitative assessment of lower limb perfusion and oxygenation status, facilitating early evaluation of lower limb lesions in diabetic patients. Goal(s): To evaluate the potential of BOLD-MRI in assessing the severity of lower limb lesions in diabetic patients. Approach: Ischemia-reperfusion model in diabetic patients by transient compression on mid-thigh was established. 7T BOLD-MRI examination was performed and perfusion parameters were extracted and analyzed. Results: Time-to-Peak (TTP) parameter demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for the early diagnosis and classification of diabetic lower limb lesions, showing a significant correlation with the clinical indicator ankle brachial index (ABI). Impact: BOLD-MRI could enhance the precision in assessing lower limb perfusion in diabetes, thereby aiding accurate classification and diagnosis at early stages while overcoming current diagnostic limitations through non-invasive quantitative analysis of peripheral lesions associated with diabetes.