Study of scan parameters using three-dimensional cine phase contrast imaging for pulmonary artery velocity measurement

Abstract

Pulmonary artery flow velocity, flow volume and their derived biomarkers, such as acceleration time (AT), acceleration volume (AV) and peak velocity (PV), vary depending on the severity and type of pulmonary disease. Therefore, accurate measurements of pulmonary artery velocity are very important for assessing the severity of pulmonary disease. The purpose of this study was to optimize the imaging parameters for pulmonary artery flow velocity using 3D cine PC MR, and to evaluate AT, AV, and PV for pulmonary hypertension. We changed the flip angle (FA) and view per segment (VPS). FA influenced the signal intensity, which was calculated from the magnitude images. Smaller VPS improved the accuracy of PV. Consequently, optimal setting of FA and VPS was important for hemodynamic analysis. We established the optimal FA and VPS for use in the hemodynamic analysis. AV and PV at the right pulmonary artery differed significantly between healthy volunteers and patients with pulmonary hypertension. Hemodynamic analysis of 3D cine PC MR imaging was considered promising for the evaluation of pulmonary disease.