Four-dimensional flow-sensitive MRI of the thoracic aorta: 12-versus 32-channel coil arrays

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of four-dimensional (4D) flow-sensitive MRI in the thoracic aorta using 12- and 32-channel coils and parallel imaging. Materials and Methods: 4D flow-sensitive MRI was performed in the thoracic aorta of 11 healthy volunteers at 3 Tesla (T) using different coils and parallel imaging (GRAPPA) accelerations (R): (i) 12-channel coil, R = 2; (ii) 12-channel coil, R = 3; (iii) 32-channel coil, R = 3. The quantitative analysis included SNR, residual velocity divergence and length and curvature of traces (streamlines and pathlines) as used for 3D flow visualization. In addition, semi-quantitative image grading was performed to assess quality of phase-contrast angiography and 3D flow visualization. Results: Parallel imaging with an acceleration factor R = 3 allowed to save 19.5 +/- 5% measurement time compared with R = 2 (14.2 +/- 2.4 min). Acquisition using 12 channels with R = 2 and 32 channels with R = 3 produced data with significantly (P < 0.05) higher quality compared with 12 channels and R = 3. There was no significant difference between 12 channels with R = 2 and 32 channels with R = 3 but for the depiction of supra-aortic branches where the 32-channel coil proved superior. Conclusion: Using 32-channel coils is beneficial for 4D flow-sensitive MRI of the thoracic aorta and can allow for a reduction of total scan time while maintaining overall image quality.