Renal artery blood flow: quantification with breath-hold or respiratory triggered phase-contrast MR imaging

The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of b reath-hold and respiratory triggered phase-contrast (PC) MR imaging techniq ues in the measurement of renal artery blood flow. Tn 12 healthy subjects c ardiac-gated PC flow measurements were obtained in the renal arteries using a breath-hold and a respirarory-triggered technique. The flow measurements were repeated in each renal artery separately. Comparison between the sum of flow measurements in the renal arteries and below the renal arteries ser ved as an internal control. The flow measurements showed a good reproducibi lity both with the breath-hold (r = 0.92, p < 0.0001) and with the respirat ory-triggered (r = 0.91, p < 0.0001) technique. The validity of both method s was good and there was no statistically significant difference. Reproduci ble quantitative measurements of renal artery blood flow are possible with respiratory controlled, cardiac-gated, PC MR imaging.