J Korean Soc Magn Reson Med.  2001 Dec;5(2):116-122.

MR Imaging of Slow-flow Using a Flow Phantom

• Cheong DC
• Jung KJ
• Lee YH
• Sung NK
• Chung DS
• Kim OD
• Kim JK

Abstract

Purpose : To find sensitivity of MRI imaging methods to slow flow phantom study was performed with conventional Spin-Echo, gradient echo based Phase Contrast, fast GLASS, and heavily T2-weighted Fast Spin Echo pulse sequences.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A siphon driven flow phantom was constructed with a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt catheter and a GE phantom to achieve continuous variable flow. Four different pulse sequences including Spin-Echo, Phase Contrast, GRASS and Heavily T2-weighted Fast Spin Echo were evaluated to depict slow flow in the range from 0.08 ml/min to 1.7 ml/min and to compare signal intensities between static fluid and flowing fluid.
RESULTS
In the slow flow above 0.17 ml/min conventional Spin-Echo showed superior apparent contrast between static and flowing fluid while GRASS was more sensitive to the very slow flow below 0.17 ml/min. It was not accurate to calculate flow and velocity below 0.1 ml/min with a modified PC imaging.
CONCLUSION
Four different MR pulse sequences demonstrated different sensitivity to the range of slow flow from 0.08 ml/min to 1.7 ml/min. This finding may be clinically useful to measure CSF shunt flow or detecting CSF collection and thrombosis.

Keyword

slow flow; GRASS; Phase contrast; Spine echo; flow imaging

MeSH Terms

Catheters
Glass
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Poaceae
Thrombosis
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt