High-speed black blood imaging of vessel stenosis in the presence of pulsatile flow

J Magn Reson Imaging. 1992 Jul-Aug;2(4):437-41. doi: 10.1002/jmri.1880020413.

Abstract

Stenosis phantoms were created to study the ability of "black blood" methods to image a vessel stenosis in the presence of pulsatile flow. Black blood images were acquired with a modified TurboFLASH (fast low-angle shot) method that eliminates flow signal by applying a set of prepulses before segmented data acquisition. With this high-speed approach, imaging can be completed within 16 seconds. This technique was compared with conventional spin-echo black blood, gradient-echo black blood, and gradient-echo bright blood methods. Loss of flow signal, which extended beyond the site of the stenosis, was seen on the gradient-echo bright blood images. The pattern of signal loss varied with the type of stenosis. Flow voids were achieved with spin-echo black blood imaging; however, substantial ghosting artifacts were seen. With gradient-echo black blood imaging, it was difficult to eliminate all flow signal, particularly for in-plane flow. The modified TurboFLASH method produced high-quality black blood images in a fraction of the time needed for spin-echo imaging. It showed no ghosting artifacts even in the presence of pulsatile flow.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Blood Flow Velocity
  • Blood Vessels / pathology*
  • Constriction, Pathologic / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Models, Cardiovascular
  • Models, Structural
  • Pulsatile Flow*
  • Time Factors
  • Vascular Diseases / diagnosis*