Analysis of flow dynamics of main pulmonary artery by cine phase contrast MR angiography

Nineteen studies of cine phase contrast MR angiography (PCMRA) of main pulmonary artery (MPA) entered the study. Cine PCMRA was obtained by a 1.5T MR imager with a gradient echo sequence coupled with velocity encoding bipolar pulses. Retrospective EKG gating was used. Mean velocity, maximum velocity, and maximum flow rate of MPA were 6.2 to 28 cm/s (mean/SD 13/5.1, n=18), 61 to 148 cm/s (mean/SD 102/30, n=13), and 12,561 to 30,113 ml/min (mean/SD 18,730/5,464, n=18), respectively. Retrograde flow in the MPA was noted to begin at late-to mid-systole. Retrograde flow occurred first in the posterior part (15/19) or occurred from periphery (4/19). Thus hemodynamic parameters and velocity maps of MPA can be obtained by cine PCMRA. (author)