Visualization and quantification of flow and velocity fields in intracranial arteriovenous malformations using phase-contrast MR angiography.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe postprocessing tools for MR phase-contrast flow quantification images and apply those tools to cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) to visualize blood flow dynamics noninvasively. Inflow and outflow zones were clearly depicted at different regions in the AVM. The processed images showed flow patterns including vortical flow and variations in velocity over the cardiac cycle. Particle tracking gave an impression of the overall flow state and of the venous drainage system in particular.