Evaluation of Peritoneal Fluid Flow in Response to Respiratory Motion Using MRI-Based CFD

Motivation: High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is hypothesized to initiate at fallopian tubes and ovaries, and then spreads by detaching and floating through the peritoneal fluid to the upper abdomen. Goal(s): Create a framework that could potentially assess HGSOC cell movement and deposition in the peritoneal cavity using MRI-based computational fluid dynamics. Approach: Under the assumption that ovarian cancer cells are already prevalent in peritoneal fluid, ovarian cancer cell displacement can be analyzed using MRI-based CFD. Results: Velocity maps and streamlines and WSS maps were created using CFD simulation results to predict cells transport to the lower peritoneum and diaphragm. Impact: MRI-based CFD allows temporal and volumetric analysis of the peritoneal cavity and provides insight in ovarian cancer cell spread due to peritoneal fluid flow. Velocities and wall shear stress analysis can be used to identify stagnation points for cell deposition.