Fig. 1

a Illustration of the three separate imaging slices used for balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) cine imaging on a representative sagittal reformat of the 3D volume used for planning. The imaging slices were positioned perpendicular to the aortic wall in the mid-ascending aorta (at the level of the pulmonary bifurcation), the transverse aortic arch arch (after the left common carotid artery) and the proximal descending aorta (at the level of the pulmonary arterial bifurcation which was after any aortic coarctation in all). b Sample frame from a 2D bSSFP cine image for measurement of aortic distensibility in the ascending aorta, demonstrating the contouring. c The aortic area variation over the cardiac cycle with time (ms) on the x-axis and cross-sectional is (mm²) on the y-axis. ED – end diastole, ES – end systole. d The diagnosis of aortic coarctation was made from non-contrast enhanced diastolic 3D data sets used for the planning of the bSSFP cine imaging planes. The diagnosis was based on the presence of a shelf-like constriction of the aortic lumen at the aortic isthmus. This is shown here in modified sagittal and coronal reformats in a female with Turner syndrome who has luminal narrowing (arrow) with post-stenotic dilatation of the descending aorta (DAo)