Unraveling aortic flow dynamics with mri: The fine line between normal and abnormal

The aorta is the main artery responsible for distributing oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. A dangerous condition affecting the aorta is a tear in its wall, which can be life-threatening. An enlarged aorta, known as an aneurysm, increases the risk of such a tear. Therefore, patients with an aneurysm are closely monitored using imaging techniques like ultrasound, CT, and MRI. Recently, a new technique called 4D flow MRI has been developed to examine blood flow in the aorta in detail. This technique may help better predict who is at risk of a tear. The research in this thesis focuses on improving the monitoring of aneurysms and understanding normal and abnormal blood flow patterns. Abnormal blood flow patterns were found in patients with an aneurysm. Future studies are needed to assess the full potential of 4D flow MRI.