Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow Study of Normal Craniocervical Neuraxis Using the Cine Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Technique in Korean

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the normal figure of intracranial and intraspinal cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) dynamics, we report the results of the various parameters of cine phase contrast(PC) magnetic resonance(MR) CSF flow images throughout the whole neuraxis. METHODS: The MR images were obtained with 1.5T unit using the cine PC sequence with cardiac gating and gradient echo imaging in 10 normal persons(mean age, 30.4 years). The temporal velocity information from the anterior and posterior cervical pericord subarachnoid spaces, third and fourth ventricles, aqueduct, and lumbar cistern were plotted as wave forms. The wave forms were analyzed for configurations, amplitude parameters, and temporal parameters. The statistical significance of each parameter was examined with paired t-test. RESULTS: The actual flow of CSF were clearly visible with cine MR images. Throughout the whole neuraxis, the distinct reproducible configuration features were not obtained at ventricular or lumbar cistern, but at aqueduct and cervical pericord spaces. The temporal parameters were more important than the amplitude parameters. CONCLUSION: In this study, the authors demonstrated normal CSF dynamics and obtained further precision by plotting the temporal velocity information from the images as a waveform. This important basic information may be useful for understanding altered physiology in disease states such as syringomyelia and hydrocephalus.