Bradley D. Allen1,
Alex J. Barker1, Jeremy D. Collins1, Lubna Choudhury2,
James C. Carr1, 2, Robert O. Bonow2, Michael
Markl1, 3
1Department
of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; 2Department
of Medicine-Cardiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; 3Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United
States
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of 4D flow MRI for the comprehensive characterization of flow patterns and quantification of hemodynamic parameters in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The results show that pressure gradients based on peak velocities in the left-ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) using 4D flow volumetric analysis are in agreement with those obtained via echocardiography. Flow pattern analysis demonstrates increasing helicity in the ascending aorta that correlates with myocardial septal thickness. LVOT volumetric velocity analysis provides gradient quantification at any time-point in the cardiac cycle.