The measurement of time-averaged flow by magnetic resonance imaging using continuous acquisition in the carotid arteries and its comparison with Doppler ultrasound

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Abstract
A continuous acquisition method was used to measure the time-averaged flow in the carotid arteries of 10 normal volunteers, using an interleaved flow-sensitive and flow-compensated field echo sequence on a 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) system. Validation of the sequence and technique was performed using a pulsatile rotating phantom. The measured flow rates for the common carotid arteries were compared with Doppler ultrasound values obtained immediately after the MR measurement using a Duplex scanner. The correlation (r=0.52, P<0.01) was significant with data spread accounted for by the inherent errors of both techniques. The difference between time-averaged flow measured by MR and Doppler ultrasound was 1.9%. Reproducibility of each technique was assessed by consecutive measurements. The advantages of continuous acquisition make the method suitable for non-invasive flow measurements, particularly for vessels that are not accessible to ultrasound.