MRI of carotid atherosclerosis to identify TIA and stroke patients who are at risk of a recurrence.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of carotid plaque MRI to predict transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke recurrence in previously symptomatic patients.

Materials And Methods: One hundred twenty-six TIA/stroke patients with ipsilateral 30-69% carotid stenosis underwent multisequence carotid plaque MRI. The presence of a lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), fibrous cap (FC) status, and intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) were assessed.

Longitudinal MRI study on the natural history of carotid artery plaques in symptomatic patients.

Purpose: To investigate the natural history of carotid atherosclerosis in patients who experienced a TIA or ischemic stroke.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-two TIA/stroke patients (57 men, mean age 67.7 ± 9.

Association between carotid plaque characteristics and cerebral white matter lesions: one-year follow-up study by MRI.

Objective: To prospectively assess the relation between carotid plaque characteristics and the development of new cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) at MRI.

Methods: Fifty TIA/stroke patients with ipsilateral 30-69% carotid stenosis underwent MRI of the plaque at baseline. Total plaque volume and markers of vulnerability to thromboembolism (lipid-rich necrotic core [LRNC] volume, fibrous cap [FC] status, and presence of intraplaque hemorrhage [IPH]) were assessed.

Potential of integrated [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/CT in identifying vulnerable carotid plaques.

Background And Purpose: There is a need for improved risk stratification of patients with TIA/stroke and carotid atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the potential of integrated (18)F-FDG PET/MDCT in identifying vulnerable carotid plaques.

Materials And Methods: Fifty patients with TIA/stroke with an ipsilateral carotid plaque causing <70% stenosis and a plaque on the contralateral asymptomatic side underwent integrated (18)F-FDG PET/MDCT within 36.

Carotid plaques in transient ischemic attack and stroke patients: one-year follow-up study by magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: To investigate the natural course of carotid plaque progression in transient ischemic attack/stroke patients by using serial multisequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: Forty transient ischemic attack/stroke patients with ipsilateral <70% carotid stenosis underwent MRI of the plaque ipsilateral to the symptomatic side at baseline and after 1 year. The MRI protocol consisted of T1-weighted turbo field-echo, time-of-flight, T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE), and pre- and postgadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced T1-weighted TSE images.