LAUSR

Background The Vein of Galen (VG) malformation is an abnormal connexion between the VGM and the arteries which supply the brain. Rapid blood flow though the brain caused by arteriovenous shunting leads to increased cardiac work load and high-output cardiac failure. Neonatal VGM patients predominantly present with cardiac failure resulting in organ failure. Embolisation can reduce the blood flow to the left atrium taking pressure off the heart. Neonates who present with severe heart and organ failure will die if left untreated. Effective treatment is determined by reduction of blood flow through the shunt. iFlow is a post processing software available from Siemens Healthcare, that provides a single image tracking the movement of contrast medium through the brain. Project proposal To use iFlow data to demonstrate visually how effective embolisation is and to show how much the blood flow has decreased in time and intensity pre-and post embolisation. This function could be used to determine the effectiveness of the embolization in treating children with VGM. Using iFlow images, with the added support of region of interest analysis, shows examples of neonatal patients treated in our institution. This is an on going project that requires further analysis. Here we present the possibility of using iFlow as a method of quantifying successful VGM embolisation at the time of intervention.