Splanchnic, Thoracoabdominal, and Cerebral Blood Flow Volumes in Healthy Children and Young Adults in Fasting and Postprandial States: Determining Reference Ranges by Using Phase-Contrast MR Imaging.

Purpose To estimate reference ranges for blood flow volume (BFV) in major splanchnic, thoracoabdominal, and neck vessels by using phase-contrast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in children and young adults in fasting and postprandial states. Materials and Methods In this institutional research ethics board-approved prospective study, healthy volunteers underwent phase-contrast MR imaging in a fasting state and again after a standardized meal. BFV values were reported as medians and ranges, and postmeal to premeal BFV ratios were calculated. BFVs in volunteers divided into two groups according to age (≤18 years old and >18 years old) were compared by using the Mann-Whitney test adjusted for multiple comparisons. Linear regression for internal validation of BFV and Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analysis for interobserver agreement were used. Results Reference ranges for BFVs were estimated in 39 volunteers (23 male and 16 female; mean age, 21.2 years ± 8.5; range, 9-40 years) and were indexed according to body surface area, with internal validation (R2 = 0.84-0.92) and excellent interobserver agreement (R2 = 0.9928). There was an almost 30% increase in total abdominal BFV (P < .0001) in response to a meal, which was the result of a threefold increase in superior mesenteric artery BFV (P < .0001). BFV after the meal remained unaffected in the celiac artery and cerebral circulation. Significantly higher normalized BFVs in the cerebral circulation were measured in children with both preprandial (P = .039) and postprandial (P = .008) status than those in adults. Conclusion Reference ranges for BFVs and changes in BFVs in response to a meal in major splanchnic, thoracoabdominal, and neck vessels were estimated by using phase-contrast MR imaging in healthy volunteers to allow hemodynamic assessment of children and young adults with various diseases. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.