Measurement of hepatic arterial flow using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging

Flow measurements through the hepatic artery were performed using retrospectively gated phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging in 22 patients. In 13 patients where three consecutive measurements of hepatic arterial flow were made, the average intra-subject coefficient of variation was 10.0% (range 2.7-21.2%). The measured blood flow was significantly higher in the eight patients where it was expected that there would be a high hepatic arterial flow compared to nine patients where it was expected that there would be a normal hepatic arterial flow based on the patients pathology (435 ml min(-1) versus 235 ml min(-1), difference = 200 ml min(-1), 95% confidence intervals on difference = 73-327 ml min(-1), p < 0.05, independent t-test). Phase correction was performed by fitting a quadratic surface to stationary tissue. The average blood flow correction due to phase correction was 6.3% (20.9 ml min(-1)) with a range of 0.8% (1 ml min(-1)) to 15.0% (70.0 ml min(-1)). Flow measurements through the hepatic artery can be performed, but care must be taken to minimize pixel size and localize accurately.