title: Wall morphology, blood flow and wall shear stress: MR findings in patients with peripheral artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of atherosclerotic plaques on femoral haemodynamics assessed by two-dimensional (2D) phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with three-directional velocity encoding.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 1 year, patients with peripheral artery disease and an ankle brachial index <1.00 were enrolled. After institutional review board approval and written informed consent, 44 patients (age, 70 ± 12 years) underwent common femoral artery MRI. Patients with contra-indications for MRI were excluded. Sequences included 2D time-of-flight, proton-density, T1-weighted and T2-weighted MRI. Electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated 2D PC-MRI with 3D velocity encoding was acquired. A radiologist classified images in five categories. Blood flow, velocity and wall shear stress (WSS) along the vessel circumference were quantified from the PC-MRI data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acquired images were of good quality for interpretation. There were no image quality problems related to poor ECG-gating or slice positioning. Velocities, oscillatory shear stress and total flow were similar between patients with normal arteries and wall thickening/plaque. Patients with plaques demonstrated regionally increased peak systolic WSS and enhanced WSS eccentricity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined multi-contrast morphological imaging of the peripheral arterial wall with PC-MRI with three-directional velocity encoding is a feasible technique. Further study is needed to determine whether flow is an appropriate marker for altered endothelial cell function, vascular remodelling and plaque progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Femoral plaques are associated with altered dynamics of peripheral blood flow. • Multi-contrast MRI can investigate the presence and type of atherosclerotic plaques. • Three-dimensional velocity-encoding phase-contrast MRI can investigate flow and wall shear stress. • Atherosclerotic peripheral arteries demonstrate increased systolic velocities and wall shear stress.
authors: Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Mauricio S
authors: MS
authors: Galizia
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Barker
authors: Yihua
authors: Y
authors: Liao
authors: Jeremy
authors: J
authors: Collins
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Carr
authors: Mary M
authors: MM
authors: McDermott
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Markl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013599:Systole