Current techniques for MR imaging of atherosclerosis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Imaging
• Atherosclerosis Research

Background:

• Atherosclerotic plaques in large vessels are primary drivers of cardiovascular events.
• Accurate assessment of plaque characteristics is crucial for risk stratification and treatment.
• Existing imaging modalities have limitations in comprehensively evaluating plaque features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the capabilities of in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for atherosclerotic plaque assessment.
• To compare MRI plaque imaging with competing modalities.
• To detail current MRI techniques for plaque imaging in various vascular beds.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on in vivo MRI for atherosclerotic plaque imaging.
• Comparison of MRI performance against other imaging techniques (e.g., ultrasound, CT).
• Discussion of technological advancements in MRI hardware, pulse sequences, and algorithms.

Main Results:

• MRI demonstrates high accuracy and reproducibility in assessing plaque size.
• Multicontrast MRI accurately identifies plaque composition, validated by histology.
• MRI can detect biological activity markers like neovasculature and inflammation.

Conclusions:

• MRI is a versatile, noninvasive tool for comprehensive atherosclerotic plaque evaluation across multiple vascular beds.
• Recent technological improvements enhance MRI's speed, accuracy, and reproducibility for plaque imaging.
• MRI provides a valuable alternative and complement to existing plaque imaging modalities.