Feasibility of 4D-Flow Imaging of Uterine Blood Flow in the Pregnant Rhesus Macaque

摘要: 4D-Flow MRI is introduced as an alternative to Doppler velocimetry in monitoring blood flow to the placenta in pregnancy. Our 3D radially undersampled PC-VIPR technique provided volumetric coverage of uterus and relevant vasculature with a 10-minute scan. Uterine arteries and ovarian veins were visualized in a 0.83 mm isotropic resolution angiogram and flow rates and vessel sizes were measured retrospectively. Repeated scans of four rhesus macaques on subsequent days showed reproducibility of flow rate and cross sectional area measurements in vessels of interest, demonstrating the potential for 4D-Flow MRI for assessing utero-placental vascular health.