Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Angiography (PC MRA) and Flow Analysis: Clinical Applications

The two most common noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques are time-off-light (TOF) and phase contrast (PC). TOF MRA is by far the most frequently used due to its superior spatial resolution, higher sensitivity to slow flow, and lower acquisition times. This chapter briefly overviews PC MRA techniques and discusses PC MRA's advantages and disadvantages. The chapter also focuses on its potential clinical applications. PC MRA's major advantage is its ability to perform a hemodynamic evaluation by determining the direction and quantifying the blood flow. PC magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques may be used to evaluate blood vessel flow dynamics by providing a noninvasive, reproducible, quantitative evaluation of the blood flow direction and velocity. PC MRI flow measurements have shown to be clinically relevant for the understanding of normal physiology and for accessing altered hemodynamics associated with a vast group of disorders.