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Feasibility of small bowel flow rate measurement with MRI
Author(s) -
Gutzeit Andreas,
Patak Michael A.,
von Weymarn Constantin,
Graf Nicole,
Doert Aleksis,
Willemse Edwin,
Binkert Christoph A.,
Froehlich Johannes M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.22254
Subject(s) - distension , flux (metallurgy) , medicine , imaging phantom , nuclear medicine , biomedical engineering , materials science , radiology , metallurgy
Objective: To evaluate whether it is feasible to measure the segmental flux of small bowel content using MR phase‐contrast (PC) pulse sequences. Materials and methods: Using a phantom the accuracy of flux measurements was validated. Afterwards, 10 volunteers were included in a prospective clinical trial. To provide standardized small bowel distension, all volunteers ingested four equal portions of 400 mL of water doped with 5 mL gadoterate and 5.8 g Metamucil mite. The MR protocol covering the sagittal cross‐sections of the small bowel included several two‐dimensional (2D) PC sequences with a velocity encoding of 7 cm/second at a temporal resolution of 0.55 second. As proof of concept time‐dependent flux was measured after intravenous (i.v.) administration of a spasmolytic agent in one volunteer. Results: Phantom measurements resulted in an excellent correlation between pump and PC measured flow rates (R = 0.999). Time‐resolved small bowel flux was successfully measured in distended small bowel loops of all volunteers. A mean flow rate of 0.188 mL/second (standard deviation ± 0.144 mL/second) was documented. The flux plots presented a sinus wave‐like shape with regular aboral and oral flow. A spasmolytic effect both on flux and motility could be shown with residual flux despite complete arrest of small bowel motility. Conclusion: PC MRI allows time‐resolved in vivo measurement of small bowel flux in single well‐distended bowel loops filled with gadolinium‐doped aqueous solution. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:345–351. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.