Intracardiac flow visualization: current status and future directions

Abstract

Non-invasive cardiovascular imaging initially focused on heart structures, allowing the visualization of their motion and inferring its functional status from it. Colour-Doppler and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) have allowed a visual approach to intracardiac flow behaviour, as well as measuring its velocity at single selected spots. Recently, the application of new technologies to medical use and, particularly, to cardiology has allowed, through different algorithms in CMR and applications of ultrasound-related techniques, the description and analysis of flow behaviour in all points and directions of the selected region, creating the opportunity to incorporate new data reflecting cardiac performance to cardiovascular imaging. The following review provides an overview of the currently available imaging techniques that enable flow visualization, as well as its present and future applications based on the available literature and on-going works.

Pulling on my heartstrings

“…Again, these studies lack information about the hemodynamic environment, which presumably is altered through manipulation of heart rate and pressure. The use of four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI has allowed the more thorough description of cardiovascular hemodynamics, in particular intracardiac blood flow [76,77]. Our recent data suggest that like both vascular endothelial cells and embryonic EECs, adult EECs are sensitive to their hemodynamic environment (manuscript in review).…”

Assessment of intra-aneurysmal flow modification after flow diverter stent placement with four-dimensional flow MRI: a feasibility study

“…Four-dimensional (4D) phase contrast MRI (4D PC-MRI) has evolved as a method to assess qualitatively and to measure quantitatively the hemodynamics for cardiac and aortic applications 10 11. Higher magnetic fields and flow sequence improvements enable 4D flow MRI to access vascular structures with smaller diameters such as intracranial vessels 12–15.…”

Left Ventricular Fluid Mechanics: The Long Way from Theoretical Models to Clinical Applications

“…First studies evidenced the intimate relationship between cardiac function and quality of the intra-ventricular flow, and built a growing consensus about the relevance of fluid dynamics on the cardiac performance. 41,64,80,85,86 Here, we will review the journey that moved from computational fluid dynamics and the comprehension of the basic physical phenomena in LV blood flow and that, through medical imaging technology, led to the definition of aspects of patho-physiological relevance. This presentation is centered on the LV blood flow leaving aside the important topic of cardiac valves, unless strictly related.…”