In Vivo Evaluation of Quantitative MR Angiography in a Canine Carotid Artery Stenosis Model

• Published in: American journal of neuroradiology : AJNR Vol. 32; no. 8; pp. 1552 - 1559
• Main Authors: CALDERON-ARNULPHI, M, AMIN-HANJANI, S, ALARAJ, A, ZHAO, M, DU, X, RULAND, S, ZHOU, X. J, THULBORN, K. R, CHARBEL, F. T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oak Brook, IL American Society of Neuroradiology 01-09-2011
• Subjects: Animals; Biochemistry and metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Carotid Stenosis - diagnosis; Central nervous system; Disease Models, Animal; Dogs; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Head and Neck; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Medical sciences; Nervous system; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Fissipedia; Evaluation; Carnivora; Nervous system diseases; Radiodiagnosis; Stenosis; Artery; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Blood vessel; Animal; Carotid; Models; Circulatory system; NMR angiography; Dog
• ISSN: 0195-6108; 1936-959X
• DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A2546

Large-vessel cerebral blood flow quantification has emerged as a potential predictor of stroke risk. QMRA uses phase-contrast techniques to noninvasively measure vessel flows. To evaluate the in vivo accuracy of QMRA for measuring the effects of progressive arterial stenosis, we compared this technique with invasive flow measurements from a sonographic transit-time flow probe in a canine model.
A sonographic flow probe was implanted around the CCA of hound dogs (n = 4) under general anesthesia. Pulsatile blood flow and arterial pressure were continuously recorded during CCA flow measurements with QMRA. A vascular tourniquet was applied around the CCA to produce progressive stenosis and varying flow rates. Statistical comparisons were made by using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient.
A total of 60 paired CCA flow measurements were compared. Mean blood flows ranged between 21 and 691 mL/min during QMRA acquisition as measured by the flow probe. The correlation coefficients between flow probe and QMRA measurements for mean, maximum, and minimum volume flow rates were 0.99 (P < .0001), 0.98 (P < .0001), and 0.96 (P < .0001), respectively. The overall proportional difference between the 2 techniques was 7.8 ± 1%. Measurements at higher flow rates and in the absence of arterial stenosis had the lowest PD.
Noninvasive CCA flow measurements by using QMRA are accurate compared with invasive flow-probe measurements in a canine arterial flow model with stenosis and may be useful for the evaluation of the hemodynamic effects of stenosis caused by cerebrovascular atherosclerosis.