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Review
. 2013 Sep;1(3-4):124-31.
doi: 10.1159/000346767.

MR and Targeted Molecular MRI of Vulnerable Plaques

Jiping Yang  1 , Haiqing Yang  1 , Liqing Cao  1 , Shujun Li  2
Affiliations
Review

MR and Targeted Molecular MRI of Vulnerable Plaques

Jiping Yang et al. Interv Neurol. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Plaque rupture or erosion represents a major cause of stroke and the acute coronary syndrome. Information on plaque morphology and composition is essential to identify patients at increased risk for acute cardio- and cerebrovascular events, and may play a key role in individualizing therapeutic strategies and monitoring the effect of interventions. The rapidly emerging field of MR and targeted molecular MRI allows to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize plaque features. We aimed to review the literature regarding the current most promising advanced techniques to image vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques.

Keywords: Atherosclerotic plaques; MRI; Molecular imaging; Targeted contrast agent; Vulnerable plaques.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
MR images of atherosclerotic plaques. a 3D-TOF MR angiogram demonstrates lumen stenosis (arrow). b T2-weighted image. c BB T1-weighted image without fat suppression. d BB T1-weighted image acquired with fat suppression yields excellent contrast among the vessel wall, dark lumen and surrounding tissues (arrow) compared with the image acquired without fat suppression (c).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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