Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Aortic Function Evaluation in Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

DOI

10.2991/artres.k.200322.001How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Aortic aneurysm; 4D-flow CMR; magnetic resonance imaging; bicuspid aortic valve; Marfan syndrome; aortic stiffness; haemodynamics

Abstract

Thoracic aortic aneurysm is a common cardiovascular disease consisting of marked dilation of the aorta. Aortic aneurysms carry a high risk of life-threatening complications such as aortic dissection or rupture. Classically, maximum aortic diameter has been used as the sole descriptor of aneurysm severity and is considered the main predictor of complications. However, maximum aortic diameter measurement is often poorly reproducible and about 60% of type A and 80% of type B aortic dissections occurred in patients with an aortic diameter inferior to that recommended for the indication of elective surgical treatment. Therefore, new biomarkers for risk stratification in thoracic aortic aneurysm are needed. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is a non-invasive imaging technique widely used for diagnosis, clinical follow-up and research in thoracic aortic aneurysms. CMR applications to thoracic aortic aneurysms are generally based on either cine CMR images, which are time-resolved images providing dynamic structural visualization, or phase-contrast images, which utilise a flow-encoding gradient to assess timeresolved velocity data. Particularly with 3D velocity encoding (4D flow MRI), phase-contrast imaging permits detailed study of haemodynamic in thoracic aortic aneurysms while cine CMR is often used to assess aortic geometry and its changes through the cardiac cycle or during follow-up. The possibilities offered by CMR for studying thoracic aortic aneurysms and a description of their applications in Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) and Marfan patients are here reviewed.

Copyright

© 2020 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Publishing services by Atlantis Press International B.V.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - JOUR
AU  - Andrea Guala
AU  - Gisela Teixido-Turá
AU  - Arturo Evangelista
AU  - Jose Rodriguez-Palomares
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/03/25
TI  - Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Aortic Function Evaluation in Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 65
EP  - 70
VL  - 26
IS  - 2
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/artres.k.200322.001
DO  - 10.2991/artres.k.200322.001
ID  - Guala2020
ER  -