Correlation of skeletal muscle blood oxygenation level-dependent MRI and skin laser doppler flowmetry in patients with systemic sclerosis

Purpose To investigate the origin of skeletal muscle BOLD MRI alterations in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) by correlating BOLD MRI T2* signal of calf muscles with microcirculatory blood flow of calf skin measured by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Materials and Methods BOLD MRI (3T) and LDF measurements were performed in 12 consecutive SSc patients (6 women, 6 men; mean age 54.0 ± 10.0 years) and 12 healthy volunteers (4 men, 8 women; mean age 44.7 ± 13.1 years). For both modalities, the same cuff compression paradigm at mid-thigh level was used. LDF datasets were acquired using a PeriScan PIM II Imager (Perimed AB, Stockholm, Sweden) at the upper calf corresponding to the level of …