Effects of Variations of Flow and Heart Rate on Intra-Aneurysmal Hemodynamics in a Ruptured Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm During Exercise.
BACKGROUND
Hemodynamics is thought to play an important role in the mechanisms responsible for initiation, growth, and rupture of intracranial aneurysms. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis is used to assess intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the effects of variations in heart rate and internal carotid artery (ICA) flow rate on intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics, in an ICA aneurysm, by using computational fluid dynamics.


METHODS
Computed tomography angiography (CTA) was performed in a 55 years old female case, with a saccular ICA aneurysm, to create a patient-specific geometrical anatomic model of the aneurysm. The intra-aneurysmal hemodynamic environments for three states with different flow and heart rates were analyzed using patient-specific image-based CFD modeling.


RESULTS
Results showed significant changes for the three simulated states. For a proportion of the states examined, results were counterintuitive. Systolic and time-averaged wall shear stress and pressure on the aneurysm wall showed a proportional evolution with the mainstream flow rate.


CONCLUSIONS
Results reinforced the pivotal role of vascular geometry, with respect to hemodynamics, together with the importance of performing patient-specific CFD analyses, through which the effect of different blood flow conditions on the aneurysm hemodynamics could be evaluated.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.
Ali
A
Sarrami-Foroushani
Department of Chemical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.
Mohsen
M
Nasr Esfahany
Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hamidreza
H
Saligheh Rad
Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Kavous
K
Firouznia
Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Madjid
M
Shakiba
Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hossein
H
Ghanaati
Aneurysm; Fluid Dynamics; Heart Rate; Internal Carotid Artery