Zero filled partial fourier phase contrast MR imaging: in vitro and in vivo assessment.
OBJECTIVE
To validate partial Fourier phase contrast magnetic resonance (PC MR) with full number of excitation (NEX) PC MR measurements in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
MR flow measurements were performed using a partial Fourier and a full NEX PC MR sequence in a flow phantom and in 10 popliteal and renal arteries of 10 different healthy volunteers. Average velocity, peak velocity, and flow results were calculated and compared with regression analysis.


RESULTS
Excellent correlations in average velocities (r = 0.99, P < 0.001), peak velocities (r = 0.99, P < 0.001), and flow rates (r = 0.98, P < 0.001) were demonstrated in vitro between the two different acquisitions. For the popliteal arteries there was excellent correlation between peak velocities for both acquisitions (r = 0.98, P < 0.0001); the correlation of average velocity measurements when using all data points in the cardiac cycle for all volunteers was 0.96 (P < 0.001). For the renal arteries the same comparison resulted in a good correlation for average velocity (0.93, P < 0.001) and peak velocity measurements (r = 0.91, P = 0.002), although the correlation coefficient for flow rates was 0.88 (P = 0.004). Blurring of the vessel margins was consistently observed on magnitude images acquired with the partial Fourier method, causing overestimation of the vessel area and some error in the flow measurements.


CONCLUSIONS
Partial Fourier PC MR is able to provide comparable average and peak velocity values when using 1 NEX PC MRI as a reference.
Szarf
Gilberto
G
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Dori
Yoav
Y
Rettmann
Dan
D
Tekes
Aylin
A
Nasir
Khurram
K
Amado
Luciano
L
Foo
Thomas K F
TK
Bluemke
David A
DA
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000502:physiology