Phase-contrast magnetic resonance quantification of normal pulmonary venous return

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of phase-contrast magnetic resonance (PCMR) in quantifying the pulmonary venous return in normal subjects.

Materials and methods: PCMR was performed in 12 healthy adult volunteers (mean age 38 years, range 27-60 years; 9 men; body surface area 1.81+/-0.15 m2) for the ascending and descending aorta, caval veins, main and branch pulmonary arteries, and pulmonary veins. Two readers independently quantified blood flow in all subjects.

Results: Intraobserver differences were -2.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -9.9% to 5.9%), -4.5% (95% CI: -15.6% to 6.5%), and -0.7% (95% CI: -4.5% to 3.0%) for all vessels, pulmonary veins, and other great vessels, respectively. Interobserver differences were -2.0% (95% CI: -10.6% to 6.6%), -3.1% (95% CI: -16.0% to 9.9%), and -1.4% (95% CI: -6.4% to 3.5%) for all vessels, pulmonary veins, and other great vessels, respectively. Pulmonary venous flow volume showed high correlations with the volumes of the pulmonary arterial flow, systemic arterial flow, and systemic venous flow (r=0.76-0.92, P<0.005).

Conclusion: Flow quantification of normal pulmonary venous return using PCMR is feasible with high reproducibility and accuracy.