Abstract #4534

Dynamic Fast Spin Echo Imaging of the Carotid Arteries

Mari Elyse Boesen¹,², Jerome Yerly,²³, Michel Louis Lauzon,²⁴, Robert Marc Lebel,²⁵, Richard Frayne,²⁴

¹Physics & Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; ²Seaman Family MR Research Centre, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, AB, Canada; ³Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; ⁴Radiology and Clinical Neurosciences,, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; ⁵Applied Sciences Laboratory, General Electric Healthcare, Calgary, AB, Canada

A time-resolved black blood acquisition can provide simultaneous morphological and distensibility analyses in the carotid arteries. A retrospectively gated fast spin echo sequence was applied at the carotid bifurcation to examine cross sectional area change over the course of the cardiac cycle. Carotid distension was measured using an automated segmentation routine over twelve cardiac phases. The same datasets were also reconstructed statically and a reduction in motion artifact was observed due to the non-uniform sampling scheme used.