Computational modeling of atherosclerotic plaque progression in carotid lesions with moderate degree of stenosis

Abstract

Carotid atherosclerotic plaque growth leads to the progressive luminal stenosis of the vessel, which may erode or rupture causing thromboembolism and cerebral infarction, manifested as stroke. Carotid atherosclerosis is considered the major cause of ischemic stroke in Europe and thus new imaging-based computational tools that can improve risk stratification and management of carotid artery disease patients are needed. In this work, we present a new computational approach for modeling atherosclerotic plaque progression in real patient-carotid lesions, with moderate to severe degree of stenosis (>50%). The model incorporates for the first time, the baseline 3D geometry of the plaque tissue components (e.g. Lipid Core) identified by MR imaging, in which the major biological processes of atherosclerosis are simulated in time. The simulated plaque tissue production results in the inward remodeling of the vessel wall promoting luminal stenosis which in turn predicts the region of the actual stenosis progression observed at the follow-up visit. The model aims to support clinical decision making, by identifying regions prone to plaque formation, predict carotid stenosis and plaque burden progression, and provide advice on the optimal time for patient follow-up screening.