Impact of compressed sensing (CS) acceleration of two-dimensional (2D) flow sequences in clinical paediatric cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)
Authors: Moscatelli S , Nielles-Vallespin S , Pennell D J , Krupickova S , Gatehouse P 
Published: October 2022

Background

Two-dimensional (2D) through-plane phase-contrast (PC) cine flow imaging assesses shunts and valve regurgitations in paediatric CMR, and is considered the reference standard for Clinical quantification Of blood Flow (COF). However, the longer breath-hold (BH) for a flow cine can reduce patient compliance with possibly large respiratory maneuvers altering flow. Compressed sensing (CS) flow has not been widely evaluated in pediatric clinical CMR, although CS flow reduces scan time with persistent accuracy [1–3]. Kocaoglu et al applied CS to ascending and descending aorta and SVC with good results. We used main pulmonary artery (MPA) and sinotubular junction (STJ) planes as usual for clinical CMR.

Purpose

We hypothesise that reduced BH time by modest application of CS to 2D cine through-plane flows (Short BH quantification of Flow) (SBOF) retains accuracy while enabling faster and potentially more reliable paediatric flows. We therefore investigate the variance between conventional COF and new SBOF cine flows in paediatric CMR.

Methods

Paediatric patients were enrolled. Aortic (AO) and MPA COFs were planned from cines of the left and right ventricular outflow tracts. For AO flow the plane was placed at the STJ, and MPA flow was acquired above the pulmonary valve. The same planes were used for COF and SBOF flows at nominally similar parameters except the moderate application of CS exploiting redundancy across the cine frames, SBOF being segmented CS cines not real-time. CVI42 (5.10; Circle CVI) was used for flow analysis (single observer, 3 years' experience). Paired t-tests found the overall differences, and variability was defined at ±2SD for STJSV, MPASV, STJCO, MPACO, and Qp/Qs.

Results and discussion

20 patients (mean age 13.7, range 10–17y) were enrolled (12 CHDs, 7 cardiomyopathies or other diseases). The BH times were COF mean 11.7s (range 8.4–20.9s) vs SBOF mean 6.5s (min 3.6–9.1s). For STJ flows the differences and variabilities between the COF and SBOF flows were SV 6.95±13.6 (ml/beat), CO 0.16±1.35 (l/min) and for MPA flows SV 2.95±12.3 (ml/beat), CO 0.27±0.96 (l/min) and for Qp/Qs were 0.04±0.19 by ml/beat and 0.02±0.23 by l/min. The mean differences were non significant, and variability between SBOF and COF was similar to intrasession repeatability of COF in a separate paediatric population at our centre (unpublished), that might arise from physiological flow changes, possibly in terms of pre and post load and heart rate. With shorter BHs also assisting patient compliance of the SBOF, physiological flow effects might be reduced, although given the variability in COV this was unconfirmed.

Conclusion

Moderate CS applied to clinical segmented-cine paediatric phase-contrast flows in the STJ and MPA planes did not degrade flow repeatability or cause bias. SBOF assists clinical flows by shorter BHs and also may aid compliance and reduce physiological variations.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.