Abbreviated Three Minute 4D Flow MRI of the Portal Circulation: Prospective Evaluation in Obese Subjects

Constant, non-pulsatile flow in the portal venous system offers the possibility of time-averaged reconstruction for shortening the acquisition time. We acquired both a 10min and 3min radial 4D flow MRI (PCVIPR) in 10 subjects in a test-retest paradigm. Time-averaged 10min and 3min exams were compared to the reference standard, i.e., cardiac-phase resolved 10min exam (14 timeframes). All datasets were analyzable with quality rated as “good” for all 3min exams. Small vessels were best visualized in the time-averaged 10min data. Conservation of mass analysis and test-retest repeatability yielded excellent results for all reconstructions. Quantitative results agreed well between reconstructions.