Accuracy and repeatability of fourier velocity encoded M‐mode and two‐dimensional cine phase contrast for pulse wave velocity measurement in the descending aorta

Purpose:

To assess the accuracy and repeatability of Fourier velocity encoded (FVE) M‐mode and two‐dimensional (2D) phase contrast with through‐plane velocity encoding (2D‐PC) for pulse wave velocity (PWV) evaluation in the descending aorta using five different analysis techniques.

Materials and Methods:

Accuracy experiments were conducted on a tubular human‐tissue‐mimicking phantom integrated into a flow simulator. The theoretical PWV value was derived from the Moens‐Korteweg equation after measurement of the tube elastic modulus by uniaxial tensile testing (PWV = 6.6 ± 0.7 m/s). Repeatability was assessed on 20 healthy volunteers undergoing three consecutive MR examinations.

Results:

FVE M‐mode PWV was more repeatable than 2D‐PC PWV independently of the analysis technique used. The early systolic fit (ESF) method, followed by the maximum of the first derivative (1st der.) method, was the most accurate (PWV = 6.8 ± 0.4 m/s and PWV = 7.0 ± 0.6 m/s, respectively) and repeatable (inter‐scan within‐subject variation δ = 0.096 and δ = 0.107, respectively) for FVE M‐mode. For 2D‐PC, the 1st der. method performed best in terms of accuracy (PWV = 6.8 ± 1.1 m/s), whereas the ESF algorithm was the most repeatable (δ = 0.386).

Conclusion:

FVE M‐mode allows rapid, accurate and repeatable central PWV evaluation when the ESF algorithm is used. 2D‐PC requires long scan times and can provide accurate although much less repeatable PWV measurements when the 1st der. method is used. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1185–1194. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.