Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Heart Journal logoLink to British Heart Journal
. 1987 Oct;58(4):316–323. doi: 10.1136/hrt.58.4.316

Blood flow patterns in the human aorta studied by magnetic resonance.

R H Klipstein 1, D N Firmin 1, S R Underwood 1, R S Rees 1, D B Longmore 1
PMCID: PMC1277261  PMID: 3676019

Abstract

Magnetic resonance velocity mapping by the field even echo rephasing sequence was used to provide two dimensional velocity profiles in the ascending and the descending aorta. Flow patterns were studied in ten healthy volunteers by a display method that gave clear details of the profiles. Velocity profiles in the ascending aorta were skewed in systole with an axis of skew roughly symmetrical about the plane of the aortic arch. During diastole flow was reversed along the posterior left wall of the ascending aorta while it continued forwards at the anterior right wall. In the descending aorta plug flow occurred but with minimal skew. Flow along the right wall was reversed during diastole. Turbulent flow did not occur in the ascending or descending aorta of any healthy subject. Magnetic resonance velocity mapping is a very powerful tool for the study of cardiovascular physiology. Its non-invasiveness, its quantitative two-dimensional data, its accuracy, and its high spatial resolution make it suitable for clinical use.

Full text

PDF
316

Images in this article

319Fig 2
on p.319
320Fig 3
on p.320

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bryant D. J., Payne J. A., Firmin D. N., Longmore D. B. Measurement of flow with NMR imaging using a gradient pulse and phase difference technique. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1984 Aug;8(4):588–593. doi: 10.1097/00004728-198408000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. FREIS E. D., HEATH W. C. HYDRODYNAMICS OF AORTIC BLOOD FLOW. Circ Res. 1964 Feb;14:105–116. doi: 10.1161/01.res.14.2.105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hounsfield G. N. Computerized transverse axial scanning (tomography). 1. Description of system. Br J Radiol. 1973 Dec;46(552):1016–1022. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-46-552-1016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Jenni R., Ruffmann K., Vieli A., Anliker M., Krayenbuehl H. P. Dynamics of aortic flow in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Eur Heart J. 1985 May;6(5):391–398. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a061877. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Jenni R., Vieli A., Ruffmann K., Krayenbuehl H. P., Anliker M. A comparison between single gate and multigate ultrasonic Doppler measurements for the assessment of the velocity pattern in the human ascending aorta. Eur Heart J. 1984 Nov;5(11):948–953. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a061596. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Longmore D. B., Klipstein R. H., Underwood S. R., Firmin D. N., Hounsfield G. N., Watanabe M., Bland C., Fox K., Poole-Wilson P. A., Rees R. S. Dimensional accuracy of magnetic resonance in studies of the heart. Lancet. 1985 Jun 15;1(8442):1360–1362. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91786-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Louie E. K., Maron B. J., Green K. J. Variations in flow-velocity waveforms obtained by pulsed Doppler echocardiography in the normal human aorta. Am J Cardiol. 1986 Oct 1;58(9):821–826. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(86)90362-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Miyatake K., Izumi S., Shimizu A., Kinoshita N., Okamoto M., Sakakibara H., Nimura Y. Right atrial flow topography in healthy subjects studied with real-time two-dimensional Doppler flow imaging technique. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1986 Feb;7(2):425–431. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(86)80516-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Miyatake K., Okamoto M., Kinoshita N., Izumi S., Owa M., Takao S., Sakakibara H., Nimura Y. Clinical applications of a new type of real-time two-dimensional Doppler flow imaging system. Am J Cardiol. 1984 Oct 1;54(7):857–868. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(84)80222-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nayler G. L., Firmin D. N., Longmore D. B. Blood flow imaging by cine magnetic resonance. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1986 Sep-Oct;10(5):715–722. doi: 10.1097/00004728-198609000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. OHLSSON N. M. Left heart and aortic blood flow in the dog. Precision motion analysis of high speed (270 frames/sec.) cinefluorographic recordings. Acta Radiol Suppl. 1962;213:1–80. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Paulsen P. K., Hasenkam J. M. Three-dimensional visualization of velocity profiles in the ascending aorta in dogs, measured with a hot-film anemometer. J Biomech. 1983;16(3):201–210. doi: 10.1016/0021-9290(83)90127-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pykett I. L., Newhouse J. H., Buonanno F. S., Brady T. J., Goldman M. R., Kistler J. P., Pohost G. M. Principles of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. Radiology. 1982 Apr;143(1):157–168. doi: 10.1148/radiology.143.1.7038763. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Seed W. A., Wood N. B. Velocity patterns in the aorta. Cardiovasc Res. 1971 Jul;5(3):319–330. doi: 10.1093/cvr/5.3.319. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Underwood S. R., Firmin D. N., Klipstein R. H., Rees R. S., Longmore D. B. Magnetic resonance velocity mapping: clinical application of a new technique. Br Heart J. 1987 May;57(5):404–412. doi: 10.1136/hrt.57.5.404. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Underwood S. R., Firmin D. N., Klipstein R. H., Rees R. S., Longmore D. B. Magnetic resonance velocity mapping: clinical application of a new technique. Br Heart J. 1987 May;57(5):404–412. doi: 10.1136/hrt.57.5.404. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Heart Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES