Importance of through-plane heart motion correction for the assessment of aortic regurgitation severity using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging

Kerstin M Lagerstrand; Frida Truedsson; Sinsia A Gao; Alexander Johansson; Odd Bech-Hanssen; Christian L Polte; Åse A Johnsson

doi:10.1016/j.mri.2021.09.010

Importance of through-plane heart motion correction for the assessment of aortic regurgitation severity using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging

Magn Reson Imaging. 2021 Dec:84:69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2021.09.010. Epub 2021 Sep 21.

Authors

Kerstin M Lagerstrand¹, Frida Truedsson², Sinsia A Gao³, Alexander Johansson⁴, Odd Bech-Hanssen³, Christian L Polte⁵, Åse A Johnsson⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: kerstin.lagerstrand@vgregion.se.
² Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Clinical Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Clinical Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁶ Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

PMID: 34560232
DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2021.09.010

Abstract

Purpose: To elucidate the influence of through-plane heart motion on the assessment of aortic regurgitation (AR) severity using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI).

Approach: A patient cohort with chronic AR (n = 34) was examined with PC-MRI. The regurgitant volume (RVol) and fraction (RFrac) were extracted from the PC-MRI data before and after through-plane heart motion correction and was then used for assessment of AR severity.

Results: The flow volume errors were strongly correlated to aortic diameter (R = 0.80, p < 0.001) with median (IQR 25%;75%): 16 (14; 17) ml for diameter>40mm, compared with 9 (7; 10) ml for normal aortic size (p < 0.001). RVol and RFrac were underestimated (uncorrected:64 ± 37 ml and 39 ± 17%; corrected:76 ± 37 ml and 44 ± 15%; p < 0.001) and ~ 20% of the patients received lower severity grade without correction.

Conclusion: Through-plane heart motion introduces relevant flow volume errors, especially in patients with aortic dilatation that may result in underestimation of the severity grade in patients with chronic AR.

Keywords: Aortic regurgitation; Heart motion; Magnetic resonance imaging; Phase contrast imaging.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aortic Valve Insufficiency* / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Severity of Illness Index