Prospective Assessment of MRI for Morphological and Functional Imaging in the Thorax.

Patients with interstitial lung disease require an adequate tool for diagnosis and monitoring. Traditionally, the diagnostics are done by CT and lung-function tests. Follow-up of these patients include regular CT-Imaging and LFT to monitor disease progress to visualize possible complications early. Every examination exposes the patient to ionizing radiation, and LFTs alone are not sensitive enough to visualize local changes. Therefore, it is desirable to switch from these two diagnostic tools to a less harm-full and a more sensitive one: MR-Imaging. MR-Imaging allows for a non-invasive and more sensitive illustration of lung morphology as well as local ventilation and perfusion for early detection of lung function alterations without the exposure of the patient to ionizing radiation.

1. Ojective To demonstrate the value of MR-Imaging as a valuable, radiation-free method to visualize lung morphology and pathologic lung changes in patients with interstitial lung diseases quantitatively and qualitatively. A positive result would allow using MR as an additive or alternative method in the assessment of parenchymal lung changes to detect early parenchymal changes as well as to monitor the course of disease, especially for medical treatment.
2. Objective Quantitative and qualitative validation of MR-Imaging in the assessment of local lung ventilation and perfusion compared to lung function tests.

Prospective, single-centre, non-randomised, non-blinded trial with MR-Imaging of patients. All of the patients undergo MR-Imaging as well as the two standard diagnostic procedures: CT and lung function tests.

Inclusion criteria: patients with interstitial lung disease scheduled for CT and LFT, written consent, ≥ 18 years.

Exclusion criteria: claustrophobia and impossibility to lie in the MR for more than 30 minutes, pregnancy, and the generally valid contraindications for MRI.