Quantitative blood flow measurements with cine phase-contrast MR imaging of subjects at rest and after exercise to assess peripheral vascular disease.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether cine phase-contrast MR volume flow measurements can identify patients with peripheral vascular disease.


METHODS
We performed MR measurements of volume blood flow in the popliteal artery of subjects at rest and after 5 min of plantar flexion exercise in 10 volunteers (mean age, 28 years old), in five patients suspected of having peripheral vascular disease (mean age, 58 years old), and in five other volunteers of a similar age (mean age, 57 years old).


RESULTS
Volume blood flow at rest was similar in volunteers and in patients. Four patients who had abnormal ankle-brachial indexes had lower flow increases after exercise (2.6-fold) compared with the five older normal volunteers (4.8-fold; p < .03, t test). These flow increases correlated well with ankle-brachial indexes: r = .97. The four patients with abnormal ankle-brachial indexes had monophasic resting waveforms, whereas all other subjects had triphasic waveforms.


CONCLUSIONS
MR volume blood flow measurement may aid in evaluating peripheral vascular disease. Studies of larger patient groups will be necessary.
Pena
C S
CS
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
McCauley
T R
TR
Price
T B
TB
Sumpio
B
B
Gusberg
R J
RJ
Gore
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000503:physiopathology