Quantification of pulsatile cerebrospinal fluid flow within the prepontine cistern

Abstract

Background: Phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) has previously been used for the quantification of CSF and blood flow throughout the body. We propose a new method of semi-automated segmentation for the prepontine cistern based on anatomical and pulsatility information. Methods: Scans were conducted on 48 patients (69.83 ± 14.28 years) ranging in age from 32 to 88 years along with an additional 11 controls (51.91 ± 21.13 years) ranging in age from 22 to 72 years. The segmentation algorithm developed consists of four stages: anatomical, flow quantification for the aqueduct and prepontine cistern, and blood vessel detection. Results: Complete results are presented in Table 1, the 37 preoperative patients and controls had a prepontine cistern stroke volume of 464.32 ± 202.30 and 447.38 ± 75.49 respectively. Conclusion: Reliable quantification of volumetric CSF flow in complex cisternal spaces is possible using a methodology combining known anatomical features with the pulsatile nature of CSF flow. © 2012 Springer-Verlag/Wien.