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Fig. 1 | BMC Medical Imaging

Fig. 1

From: Counter-clockwise vortical blood flow in the main pulmonary artery in a patient with patent ductus arteriosus with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging case report

Fig. 1

4D flow evaluation of the PDA. Schematic 3D anatomy (a) of the PDA and surrounding cardiovascular structures based on 3D reconstruction of the anatomical phase contrast images. PDA length and time-averaged cross-sectional area at the center of the PDA were evaluated by multi-planar reformation. Time courses of maximal velocity (b) and net flow rate (c) across the central cross-section of the PDA demonstrate an early systolic and an early diastolic left-to-right peak and small right-to-left flow at end-systole. Velocity-color-encoded streamlines originating from PDA at early systole (d), end-systole (e) and early diastole (f) projected onto multi-planar reformatted anatomical images reflect these bi-phasic PDA flow characteristics. In early systole (d) and diastole (f) there is fast left-to-right flow through the PDA that reverses direction in the main pulmonary artery. In end-systole (e) blood spirals from right-to-left but no streamlines (and particles in Additional file 1: in the online-only Data Supplement) enter the aorta. PDA = patent ductus arteriosus; MPA = main pulmonary artery; RPA = right pulmonary artery; PV = pulmonary valve; AD = aorta descendens; AA = aorta ascendens, LV = left ventricle, RV = right ventricle, LA = left atrium

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