Evaluation of 3D Blood Flow Changes in the Normal & Dilated Thoracic Aorta using Flow-Sensitive 4D MRI.

Jonas Brk¹, Zoran Stankovic¹, Alex Frydrychowicz¹, Mathias Langer¹, Michael Markl¹

Flow-sensitive 3D MRI was used to visualize different flow patterns in the thoracic aorta of 33 patients with dilated or aneurismal ascending aortae (greater or equal 40mm), 15 age matched normal controls, and 15 young healthy volunteers. Considerably enhanced incidence and strength of blood flow alterations (helix and vortex flow) in the ascending aorta in patients compared to age matched controls and young healthy volunteers were observed. Strengths of ascending aortic helix and vortex flow was directly associated with an increase in AAo diameter and AAo/DAo diameter ratio. Follow up studies are needed to correlate aneurysm growth rate or rupture risk with flow pattern alterations.