Magnetic resonance imaging of blood flow with a phase subtraction technique. In vitro and in vivo validation.
OBJECTIVE
One promising approach to flow quantification uses the velocity-dependent phase change of moving protons. A velocity-encoding phase subtraction technique was used to measure the velocity and flow rate of fluid flow in a phantom and blood flow in volunteers.


METHODS
In a model, the authors measured constant flow velocities from 0.1 to 270.0 cm/second with an accuracy (95% confidence intervals) of +/- 12.5 cm/second. There was a linear relationship between the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement and the actual value (r2 = .99; P = .0001).


RESULTS
Measuring mean pulsatile flow from 125 to 1,900 mL/minute, the accuracy of the MRI pulsatile flow measurements (95% confidence intervals) was +/- 70 mL/minute. There was a linear relationship between the MRI pulsatile flow measurement and the actual value (r2 = .99; P = .0001). In 10 normal volunteers, the authors tested the technique in vivo, quantitating flow rates in the pulmonary artery and the aorta. The average difference between the two measurements was 5%. In vivo carotid flow waveforms obtained with MRI agreed well with the shape of corresponding ultrasound Doppler waveforms.


CONCLUSIONS
Velocity-encoding phase subtraction MRI bears potential clinical use for the evaluation of blood flow. Potential applications would be in the determination of arterial blood flow to parenchymal organs, the detection and quantification of intra- and extra-cardiac shunts, and the rapid determination of cardiac output and stroke volume.
Evans
A J
AJ
Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Iwai
F
F
Grist
T A
TA
Sostman
H D
HD
Hedlund
L W
LW
Spritzer
C E
CE
Negro-Vilar
R
R
Beam
C A
CA
Pelc
N J
NJ
D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008961:Models, Structural; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000502:physiology; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D014463:Ultrasonography