Laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and 3D phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (PC-MRA) velocity measurements: validation in an anatomically accurate cerebral artery aneurysm model with steady flow.
OBJECTIVE
To verify the accuracy of velocity mapping with three-dimensional (3D) phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (PC-MRA) for steady flow in a realistic model of a cerebral artery aneurysm at a 3T scanner.


METHODS
Steady flow through an original geometry model of a cerebral aneurysm was mapped at characteristic positions by state-of-the-art laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) as well as 3D PC-MRA at 3T. The spatial distributions and local values of two velocity components obtained with these two measurement methods were compared.


RESULTS
The 3D PC-MRA velocity field distribution and mean velocity values exhibited only minor differences to compare to the LDV measurements in straight artery regions for both main and secondary velocities. The differences increased in regions with disturbed flow and in cases where the measurement plane was not perpendicular to the main flow direction.


CONCLUSIONS
3D PC-MRA can provide reliable measurements of velocity components of steady flow in small arteries. The accuracy of such measurements depends on the artery size and the measurement plane positioning.
Hollnagel
Dorothea I
DI
Laboratory of Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Summers
Paul E
PE
Kollias
Spyros S
SS
Poulikakos
Dimos
D
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D012044:Regression Analysis