CEREBRAL ARTERIOVENOUS-MALFORMATIONS - FLOW QUANTITATION BY MEANS OF 2-DIMENSIONAL CARDIAC-GATED PHASE-CONTRAST MR-IMAGING

PURPOSE: To test two-dimensional cardiac-gated phase-contrast (2DGPC) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of cerebral arteriov enous malformations (AVMs) and the alterations in flow that accompany embolization therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 2DGPC sequence was used to measure flow velocity in the feeding vessels and corresponding con tralateral vessels (CCVs) of seven patients (six men and one woman, 21 -55 years of age; mean, 37 years) with cerebral AVMs and in the vessel s of four healthy volunteers (all men; mean age, 22 years). RESULTS: I n the patients, the flow in the feeding vessels exceeded the flow in t he CCVs by a margin far greater than the asymmetry in flow in the volu nteers. The mean reduction in flow after embolization was 54.9% +/- 11 .1 in embolized feeding vessels (n = 6) and 5.3% +/- 2.8 in nonemboliz ed vessels (n = 3). Postembolization flow enhancement was observed in the CCV (n = 2), which suggests a degree of autoregulatory dysfunction . CONCLUSION: This technique can be used to evaluate the flow patterns of AVMs and the hemodynamic changes that occur with embolization.