International reproducibility of single breathhold T2* MR for cardiac and liver iron assessment among five thalassemia centers

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Abstract
To examine the reproducibility of the single breathhold T2* technique from different scanners, after installation of standard methodology in five international centers. Up to 10 patients from each center were scanned twice locally for local interstudy reproducibility of heart and liver T2*, and then flown to a central MR facility to be rescanned on a reference scanner for intercenter reproducibility. Interobserver reproducibility for all scans was also assessed. Of the 49 patients scanned, the intercenter reproducibility for T2* was 5.9% for the heart and 5.8% for the liver. Local interstudy reproducibility for T2* was 7.4% for the heart and 4.6% for the liver. Interobserver reproducibility for T2* was 5.4% for the heart and 4.4% for the liver. These data indicate that T2* MR may be developed into a widespread test for tissue siderosis providing that well-defined and approved imaging and analysis techniques are used.