Assessment of fluctuating velocities in disturbed cardiovascular blood flow: in vivo feasibility of generalized phase-contrast MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of generalized phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI) for the noninvasive assessment of fluctuating velocities in cardiovascular blood flow.


METHODS
Multidimensional PC-MRI was used in a generalized manner to map mean flow velocities and intravoxel velocity standard deviation (IVSD) values in one healthy aorta and in three patients with different cardiovascular diseases. The acquired data were used to assess the kinetic energy of both the mean (MKE) and the fluctuating (TKE) velocity field.


RESULTS
In all of the subjects, both mean and fluctuating flow data were successfully acquired. The highest TKE values in the patients were found at sites characterized by abnormal flow conditions. No regional increase in TKE was found in the normal aorta.


CONCLUSIONS
PC-MRI IVSD mapping is able to detect flow abnormalities in a variety of human cardiovascular conditions and shows promise for the quantitative assessment of turbulence. This approach may assist in clarifying the role of disturbed hemodynamics in cardiovascular diseases.
Dyverfeldt
Petter
P
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. petter.dyverfeldt@cmiv.liu.se
Kvitting
John-Peder Escobar
JP
Sigfridsson
Andreas
A
Engvall
Jan
J
Bolger
Ann F
AF
Ebbers
Tino
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity