Cine magnetic resonance imaging study of blood flow and wall motion of the aortic arch.

The aortic arch has 3D distortions in the transverse arch in the axial view, and we previously reported that this distortion is a risk factor in the pathogenesis of arch aneurysms. In this study, we evaluated blood flow and movement of the aortic arch. In 10 healthy young volunteers, ECG-gated cine magnetic resonance imaging was carried out in the axial plane of the transverse arch, the coronal plane of the ascending arch, and the long axial plane along the entire arch. 1. Left anterolateral movements around the midpoint of the transverse arch in the systolic phase were observed in all of the men (6.3 +/- 1.59 mm) and women (4.8 +/- 0.73 mm). 2. A jet flow was detected in the systolic phase along the right side of the aortic wall. At the top of the plane, this jet flow turned to the left in a clockwise rotation in the anterior view. 3. In the long axial plane, a turbulent flow in the systolic phase was observed distal to the left subclavian arterial orifice in 6 of the 7 cases. In conclusion, this turbulent flow and left anterolateral wall motion of the transverse arch are due to anatomical three-dimensional distortion of the transverse arch. We propose that these phenomena may be important risk factors in the pathogenesis of arch aneurysms.