September 2009

Scans may hold key to early lung disease detection

Alfred Hospital respiratory physicians are among the first in the world to use magnetically-charged gas to achieve a high resolution scan of the human lung.

The scan, one of two new lung imaging techniques being explored at The Alfred, enables the organ to be imaged at a stunning resolution to reveal detail not previously accessible—all without exposure to ionising radiation.

Developed overseas, the technique utilises magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and promises to help respiratory physicians identify the onset of lung disease earlier than ever before.

Head of The Alfred’s Physiology Service in the Department of Allergy Immunology and Respiratory Medicine Associate Professor Bruce Thompson said it was a significant step to be able to offer such a high-level detail in a lung scan.

‘Traditionally, MRI doesn’t image the lungs very well,’ Associate Professor Thompson said. 

‘Normally, all we see is a fairly black hole in the middle of the chest.

‘But if the patient breathes helium-3 gas, we can magnetically charge it and the lungs light up like a Christmas tree.’

‘For the first time, we are able to measure the distribution of ventilation with MRI resolution.

‘Not only is the detail exquisite but the patient isn’t exposed to ionising radiation common to lung scans.’

The practice, known as hyperpolarised helium-3 MRI, is being performed in Australia through collaboration between The Alfred, the Royal Children’s Hospital, Sydney University and the University of Queensland. 

Funding has come from the Abercrombie Foundation.

A second ground-breaking scan, Perfusion MRI imaging using arterial spin labelling, is also being developed at The Alfred. 

It works by magnetically charging the blood, giving it a pulse and then spinning it to measure the time it takes to flow between two points. 

The Alfred is one of only two sites in the world working with this method.

Associate Professor Thompson said the resolution and information from both scans had tremendous potential for the managements of key respiratory patient groups.

‘We are particularly interested in the application of these scans for transplant patients. 

‘Those with asthma, cystic fibrosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia—a condition resulting from early lung disease that can result from premature birth—may also benefit from the more detailed examination.

‘These advances open a new pathway for the early detection of lung disease.

‘If we can detect disease early we can almost always achieve a better outcome for our patients,’ Associate Professor Thompson said.