Advanced MR of cardiac hemodynamics

Basic physics Francesco Santini, Basle/CH Description Magnetic resonance imaging has the unique ability of measuring the velocity of moving structures and fluids along an arbitrary direction. This is particularly useful when assessing blood flow in the cardiovascular system, as it can give indication on abnormal flow patterns and shed light on congenital defects. In this presentation, the basic physical principles of blood flow measurements will be presented, ranging from the pulse sequence design, to the processing and calculation of the most important flow parameters. The most common artifacts and sources of error in MR flow measurements will also be presented, to enable informed decisions on protocol preparation and optimization. Clinical applications Elie Mousseaux, Paris/FR Description The principle, the different methods, the advantages and disadvantages of the flow measurement methods will be briefly explained. Applications of simple index measurements derived from velocity measurements will be given and illustrated for common CMR assessments: aortic or pulmonary insufficiency, aortic valve stenosis, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The contribution of 4D flow to 2D phase contrast will be widely illustrated for these application methods. Finally, the perspectives of 4D flow in new applications will be illustrated.