Normal three-dimensional pulmonary artery flow determined by phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging

In this study, an application was developed to measure three-dimensional blood flow in the main, right, and left pulmonary arteries of seven healthy volunteers using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Presently, no other noninvasive technique is capable of providing this information. Flow, mean velocity, kinetic energy, and crosssectional area were measured at multiple phases of the cardiac cycle and were consistent with previously reported values measured with one-dimensional velocity encoded MRI and Doppler echocardiography. Additionally, axial, circumferential, and radial shear stresses near the wall of the vessel at multiple phases of the cardiac cycle were estimated using the in-plane velocities. All three shear stresses were relatively constant along the vessel wall and throughout the cardiac cycle (∼7 dyn/cm²). This three-dimensional characterization of normal pulmonary blood flow provides a base line to which effects of altered pulmonary artery flow patterns in disease can be compared. [Morgan, V. L., T. P. Graham, Jr., and C. H. Lorenz. Circulation Suppl. 94:I-417 (abstract), 1996].