Assessment of Skeletal Muscle Microperfusion Using MRI

Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) MRI, arterial spin labeling (ASL) and dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) are current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques allowing the non-invasive functional assessment of peripheral microvasculature in healthy and diseased individuals. The functional imaging of skeletal muscle microvasculature helps to understand muscular and vascular physiology and alterations of microcirculation under certain pathological conditions such as peripheral arterial occlusive disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic compartment syndrome and rheumatic disorders. BOLD MRI uses blood as an endogenous contrast agent provided by the different magnetic properties of oxy- a…