Jeroen Hendrikse MD, PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Manon Benders, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Floris Groenendaal, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To examine phase contrast MR Angiography flow measurements to measure the total cerebral flow in ml/min through the internal carotid and basilar arteries in newborns.

In thirty-two newborns with a clinical reason to perform MRI scans, phase contrast MRA flow volume (ml/min) data were acquired. The postmenstrual age range was between 31-55 weeks, the weight range was between 1050-5858 gram. All experiments were performed on a 1.5 T scanner. On the basis of a localizer MRA slab in the sagittal plane, a 2-dimensional non-triggered phase contrast MRA slice was positioned at the level of the skull base to measure the volume flow in the internal carotid arteries and the basilar artery. The velocity encoding (VENC) was set to 30cm/sec to adapt to the lower velocity values in newborns. Scan time for the phase contrast MRA scan was 38 seconds. Total cerebral blood flow values were calculated by adding the flow volume values of the left and right internal carotid arteries and the basilar artery.

MRA total cerebral blood flow increased with 6.8 ml/min per week age increase. A significant correlation was found between MRA total cerebral blood flow measurements and the postmenstrual age (R-square = 0.64, p < 0.001) and weight (R-square = 0.52, p < 0.001).

Added to anatomical MR imaging the presented MRA phase contrast scan is a simple and powerfull sequence to detect cerebral hemodynamic impairment in newborns with a decreased total cerebral blood flow.

Phase contrast MRA of the brain feeding arteries at the skull base is a fast simple and non-invasive method to measure the total cerebral blood flow in newborns.

Hendrikse, J, Benders, M, Groenendaal, F, Phase-contrast MRA Measurements of Total Cerebral Blood Flow in Newborns.  Radiological Society of North America 2007 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2007 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2007/5010616.html