Identification and Quantitative Assessment of Different Components of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Plaque by Ex Vivo 3T High-Resolution Multicontrast MRI.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

High-resolution 3T MR imaging can visualize intracranial atherosclerotic plaque. However, histologic validation is still lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of 3T MR imaging to identify and quantitatively assess intracranial atherosclerotic plaque components ex vivo with histologic validation.

Materials and methods

Fifty-three intracranial arterial specimens with atherosclerotic plaques from 20 cadavers were imaged by 3T MR imaging with T1, T2, and proton-density-weighted FSE and STIR sequences. The signal characteristics and areas of fibrous cap, lipid core, calcification, fibrous tissue, and healthy vessel wall were recorded on MR images and compared with histology. Fibrous cap thickness and maximum wall thickness were also quantified.

SUBMITTER: Jiang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7963689 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature