MRI-Based Comprehensive Analysis of Vascular Anatomy and Hemodynamics

Objectives: Standardized methods for mapping the complex blood flow in vessels are needed for processing the large data volume acquired from 4D flow MRI. We present a methodological workflow of systematic and efficient analysis of anatomy and flow in large human vessels. For the best strategies of cardiac surgery, the avoidance of secondary flow patterns such as vortices or helices may play an important role. Attention was given to the undesired cancelation of vortices with opposite directions of rotation, known as the Dean patterns, using hemodynamic parameters as circulation and helicity density.

Methods: The approach is based on the multiplanar reconstruction of a multidimensional feature-space along the vessel's centerline. Hemodynamic parameters and anatomic information were determined in plane from the reconstructed feature space and from the vessel's centerline. A modified calculation of circulation and helicity density and novel parameters for quantifying the Dean asymmetry were developed. To test their performance, the methods were applied to three test cases.

Result: Comprehensive information on position, magnitude, and interrelation of vascular anatomy and hemodynamics were extracted from 4D flow MRI datasets. The results show that the Dean patterns can be efficiently assessed using the novel parameters.

Conclusion: Our approach to comprehensively and simultaneously quantify multiple parameters of vascular anatomy and hemodynamics from 4D flow MRI opens new ways to map complex hemodynamic conditions.

Publication History

Article published online:
21 February 2021