Superficial femoral artery occlusive disease severity correlates with MR cine phase-contrast flow measurements.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate how cine phase-contrast (PC) flow data correlate with the severity of peripheral vascular disease (PVD).


METHODS
Flow waveforms were obtained in 48 patients proximal and distal to superficial femoral artery (SFA) disease using the 2D cine PC technique with velocity encoding (venc) = 100 cm/second. Flow data were correlated with SFA disease severity and compared with data from nine healthy volunteers.


RESULTS
Of 96 arterial segments in 48 patients, 26 were patent or only mildly stenotic, 35 had moderate-to-severe stenosis, and 35 were occluded. The flow patterns tended to become low-resistant below severe stenoses or occlusion. The mean peak flow velocity above/below SFA lesions was significantly higher in patients with severe disease (1.9 +/- 1.0, P = 0.01) or occlusion (2.0 +/- 1.0, P = 0.003) compared to normal volunteers (1.4 +/- 0.6). The delay in peak velocity below the lesions showed a significant positive correlation with lesion severity (r = 0.65, P < 0.001). The mean flow volume ratio above/below SFA lesions was greater in patients with occluded vessels compared to normal volunteers (3.9 and 2.3 respectively; P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Cine PC flow waveform changes across atherosclerotic lesions correlate with disease severity. This may help determine which lesions are hemodynamically significant.
Mohajer
Kiyarash
K
Department of Radiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, 416 East 55th Street, New York, NY 10022, USA.
Zhang
Honglei
H
Gurell
Daniel
D
Ersoy
Hale
H
Ho
Bernard
B
Kent
K Craig
KC
Prince
Martin R
MR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index