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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
In vitro Assessment of Aortic Regurgitation Using Four-Dimensional Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: February 25, 2022
Splanchnic flow analysis in 4D flow MRI: scan-rescan reproducibility of flow and image quality
Paul Ruben Roos1, Maarten E Tushuizen2, Jos J M Westenberg2
1Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands. p.r.roos@lumc.nl.
Introduction:
Assessing the splanchnic circulation may increase understanding and guide management of hepatic disorders. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the scan-rescan reproducibility of abdominal 4D Flow MRI in the splanchnic circulation, to assess the reproducibility of portal venous fractional flow change (FFC), and to compare outcomes healthy volunteers to a patient group with end-stage liver disease (ESLD).
Methods:
Ten healthy volunteers (aged 24 ± 3 years) and five patients (aged 62 ± 10 years) with ESLD underwent non-contrast abdominal 4D Flow MRI with respiratory navigator gating twice, with repositioning in between. Flowrates, velocities and cross-sectional area were assessed in abdominal aorta and eight splanchnic vessels. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), vessel-sharpness and -length were measured in common portal vein and FFC were calculated.
Results:
No significant scan-rescan differences were found in any outcome measures, except for peak-flow in superior mesenteric vein. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was good to excellent (0.70-0.93) for flowrates and velocities for most vessels, except for some measurements in the hepatic artery, splenic vein and splenic artery. ICC of cross-sectional area was fair (0.53-0.57) or insignificant for most vessels. SNR and vessel-length had excellent ICC (0.96-0.98), but vessel-sharpness only fair ICC (0.59) and FFC was not reproducible in healthy volunteers. FFC was significantly lower in patients than in healthy volunteers by -0.52, while portal vein length was significantly higher by 7.3 mm.
Conclusion:
Scan-rescan reproducibility of a 4D Flow MRI acquisition that was optimized in-house for assessing the splanchnic blood flow circulation is good to excellent for flow assessment and maximum velocity in large vessels with high velocities, but not for cross-sectional area and mean velocity. Measurements in smaller vessels and vessels with lower velocities are less reproducible. Fractional flow change was not reproducible in healthy volunteers in the current study and should be assessed in a larger cohort. However, it was indicative for patients with end-stage liver disease.
