Modeling of blood flow in aorta: MRI-based computational fluid dynamics of aortic hemodynamics

Aortic aneurysm, a balloon-like enlargement of the healthy artery, is a cardiovascular disease with one of the highest mortality rates. These numbers are due to the usual late diagnosis of the aneurysm, which is often asymptomatic until a fatal event occurs. Such an event can progress to aortic dissection or rupture. Due to the urgent nature of a rupture, we require early detection of asymptomatic aneurysms and proper evaluation of the rupture risk. The clinical guidelines suggest a close follow-up of the luminal size evolution, with advice for surgery based on threshold values. The thresholds are based on the annual maximum arterial diameter or growth rate. However, these guidelines are lacking in many cases.