Comparison of 4D and 2D phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging of the great mediastinal vessels

Abstract

Background Two-dimensional (2D) phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables non-invasive measurements of forward and backward flow, shunt volumina and peak velocity. It is an important tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with congenital or acquired cardiovascular diseases. However, planning and repeated acquisition of multiple 2D measurements is timeconsuming and data analysis is restricted to those areas that were targeted during the scan. Four-dimensional (4D) PC MRI enables flow assessment through all cardiac valves and mediastinal vessels during one acquisition. The purpose of our study was to compare the 4 dimensional (4D) phase contrast (PC) technique against the established 2 dimensional (2D) technique and test the feasibility of the 4D technique. Methods We included 3 volunteers and 10 patients. 2D PC measurements were performed either at a 1.5T or a 3.0T and 4D flow measurements at a 3.0T MR device. Statistical analysis included the Wilcoxon test, Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression analyses and Bland-Altman plots.