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.

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.

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.

Symptomatic patients with mild and moderate carotid stenosis: plaque features at MRI and association with cardiovascular risk factors and statin use.

Background And Purpose: The objectives of this study were to assess plaque characteristics in symptomatic patients with mild and moderate carotid stenosis and to explore associations with cardiovascular risk factors and statin use.

Methods: One hundred patients with transient ischemic attack or stroke with ipsilateral mild and moderate carotid stenosis underwent MR plaque imaging.

Results: Patients with moderate stenosis had plaques with a higher prevalence of intraplaque hemorrhage (48.

Multimodality imaging of carotid artery plaques: 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Background And Purpose: This study's objective was to compare (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG PET), CT, and MRI of carotid plaque assessment.

Materials And Methods: Fifty patients with symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT and MRI. Correlations and agreement between imaging findings were assessed by Spearman and Pearson rank correlation tests, t tests, and Bland-Altman plots.

Reproducibility of fibrous cap status assessment of carotid artery plaques by contrast-enhanced MRI.

Background And Purpose: Reproducibility in identifying the fibrous cap (FC) of carotid artery plaques by noncontrast-enhanced MRI has been shown to be poor. The objective of this study was to assess the reproducibility of multisequence MRI, including contrast-enhanced images, in assessing FC status.

Methods: Forty-five symptomatic patients with 30% to 69% carotid artery stenosis underwent a multisequence MRI protocol, which included contrast-enhanced images.