4D UTE Flow: A Novel 4D Ultra-Short TE Phase-Contrast MRI Technique for Assessment of Flow and Hemodynamics

Mo Kadbi¹, Melanie S. Traughber², Peter Martin², Amir A. Amini¹

4-D flow MRI has been recently investigated in several studies for quantitative flow assessment and visualization of complex flow pattern. Conventional 4-D PC MRI is not promising technique in the presence atherosclerotic disease and vascular stenosis due to intravoxel dephasing secondary to disturbed blood flow, and turbulence distal to narrowing often resulting in flow-related artifacts. Ultra-short TE (UTE) PC MRI revealed a shorter TE and improvement in flow quantification in disturbed and turbulent blood flow in through-plane direction . To take advantage of 4-D flow MRI as well as short TE, UTE technique was combined with 4D flow imaging and a 4-D UTE PC MRI technique was investigated. The fusibility of this technique for comprehensive flow assessment in healthy carotid artery compared to conventional 4-D PC MRI was studied.