[Imaging of atherosclerosis: magnetic resonance]

Atherosclerosis is the disease with the most important social impact in terms of cost and human life. Its study in the prevention and cure of its consequences needs integration using many imaging modalities, and magnetic resonance presents advantages due to its particular characteristics. The Authors make an overview of its indications and potential applications in the assessment of atherosclerotic disease. In vitro studies have demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate the normal and abnormal components of vessel walls by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as fatty deposition and intraplaque hemorrhage. On the other hand, in the in vivo studies, despite the impossibility to make a too fine structural analysis of the vessel wall, MRI allows to easily discriminate between blood flow and parietal wall. This is of great importance in the study concerning arterial aneurysms, that represent a consequence of atherosclerotic disease. Information as the presence, the site, the extension, the collateral vessel involvement and, finally, the presence or absence of dissection are all obtainable by using MRI. In the early 1990's magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was developed and is now used in clinical practice. By means of this new application of MRI there is the possibility of increasing the non invasive screening of atherosclerosis especially in some body districts. The evaluation of the plaque obtainable by the combined use of MRA and ultrasound studies allows to decrease the employment of traditional and digital angiography. If, as studies predict, we will able to obtain coronary angiograms in the near future, there will be a further increase in the non invasive evaluation and in the prevention of atherosclerotic disease.