Automated Cardiac Valve Tracking for Flow Quantification with Four-dimensional Flow MRI.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Radiology

Background:

• Accurate quantification of valvular hemodynamics is crucial for diagnosing and managing heart disease.
• Four-dimensional flow MRI (4D Flow MRI) offers comprehensive assessment of blood flow dynamics.
• Manual valve tracking in 4D Flow MRI is time-consuming and prone to variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficiency and reliability of automated valve tracking versus manual valve tracking in 4D Flow MRI.
• To evaluate the impact of automated tracking on analysis time and quantification accuracy for valvular flow parameters.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 4D Flow MRI data from 114 patients with acquired/congenital heart disease and 46 healthy volunteers.
• Comparison of automated and manual valve tracking methods using cine views for valve segmentation.
• Assessment of analysis time, net forward volumes (NFVs), regurgitant fractions, and intra-/interobserver variability using ICCs.

Main Results:

• Automated valve tracking was significantly faster than manual tracking (14 vs 25 minutes; P < .001).
• NFV variation across valves was smaller with automated tracking (4.9% vs 9.8%; P < .001), indicating improved consistency.
• Excellent intra- and interobserver agreement (ICC ≥ 0.99 for NFV) was achieved with automated tracking.

Conclusions:

• Automated valve tracking in 4D Flow MRI substantially reduces analysis time.
• This method enhances the reliability and consistency of valvular flow quantification.
• Automated tracking is a valuable tool for assessing valvular function in diverse patient populations.