MR phase-contrast imaging in pulmonary hypertension

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

• Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe condition impacting pulmonary arterial pressure.
• Right heart catheterization is the standard diagnostic method for PH.
• Cardiac MRI, specifically MR phase-contrast (PC) imaging, shows promise for assessing cardiovascular function in PH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications of 2D and 4D MR phase-contrast (PC) imaging in pulmonary hypertension (PH).
• To highlight the potential of PC imaging for early diagnosis and characterization of PH.
• To demonstrate how PC imaging non-invasively evaluates hemodynamic alterations in PH.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing routine two-dimensional (2D) and advanced four-dimensional (4D) MR phase-contrast (PC) imaging.
• Quantifying macroscopic cardiovascular blood flow and velocity fields.
• Analyzing parameters like pulmonary arterial mean velocity, distensibility, flow acceleration, and vortical blood flow.

Main Results:

• PC imaging allows non-invasive evaluation of hemodynamic changes in PH.
• Various PC imaging-derived parameters correlate with PH severity and right heart catheterization findings.
• Analysis of pulse-wave velocities, wall shear stress, and kinetic energy losses provides insights into cardiopulmonary remodeling.

Conclusions:

• MR phase-contrast (PC) imaging is a valuable tool for assessing cardiovascular function and hemodynamics in PH.
• The technique offers potential for early diagnosis and detailed characterization of PH.
• PC imaging complements traditional diagnostic methods by providing non-invasive hemodynamic insights.