Document Detail


High-Resolution MRI of Carotid Plaque With a Neurovascular Coil and Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography: One-Stop Shopping for the Comprehensive Assessment of Carotid Atherosclerosis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21512087     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Data-Review    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess a protocol of study of carotid atherosclerosis coupling vascular wall imaging and luminal imaging in the same examination and to evaluate the accuracy of high-resolution MRI with a neurovascular coil in carotid plaque characterization.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-two consecutive patients with 34 carotid artery stenoses were prospectively enrolled. MRI was performed on a 1.5-T unit. Plaque assessment was performed starting with a diffusion-weighted sequence and followed by a fat-suppressed T1-weighted sequence; after contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA), all patients were evaluated with a T1-weighted 3D high-resolution sequence. Carotid plaques were classified as type A, having a large lipid-necrotic core; type B, being a complex fibrotic-calcified plaque with soft content (mixed plaque); or type C, being a fibrotic-calcified plaque (hard). Additional features indicative of vulnerable plaque such as intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), ulceration, and severe stenosis were registered. MR findings were compared with surgical specimens.
RESULTS: MRI correctly identified 11 of 13 type A, eight of 11 type B, and eight of 10 type C plaques (sensitivity, 84.6%, 72.7%, and 80%, respectively). In the identification of lipid-necrotic core plaque, MRI showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 84.6%, 100%, 100%, and 91.3%, respectively (κ = 0.87). For reordering all plaques in two groups (i.e., soft vs nonsoft) in the identification of soft plaques, MRI had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 83.3%, 80%, 90.9%, and 66.7%, respectively (κ = 0.59). IPH, ulcers, and severe stenosis were detected in eight of eight, 11 of 13, and 25 of 25 cases, respectively.
CONCLUSION: In patients with carotid atherosclerosis, ongoing CE-MRA with a neurovascular coil for the simultaneous detection of unstable plaques is feasible. Our MR protocol accurately identifies the major features of vulnerable plaque.
Authors:
Stefano Tartari; Roberto Rizzati; Riccardo Righi; Anna Deledda; Katia Capello; Riccardo Soverini; Giorgio Benea
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  AJR. American journal of roentgenology     Volume:  196     ISSN:  1546-3141     ISO Abbreviation:  AJR Am J Roentgenol     Publication Date:  2011 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-04-22     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7708173     Medline TA:  AJR Am J Roentgenol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1164-71     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Radiologia Clinica Diagnostica ed Interventistica, Azienda USL Ferrara, Via Cassoli 30, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
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