title: Noncoronary and coronary atherothrombotic plaque imaging and monitoring of therapy by MRI.
abstract: In the future, the use of imaging methods to quantify the progression and regression of atherosclerosis could play a strong role in the management of patients. High-resolution, noninvasive MRI may provide exhaustive 3-D anatomic information about the lumen and the vessel wall. Furthermore, MRI has the ability to characterize plaque composition and microanatomy and therefore to identify lesions vulnerable to rupture or erosion. The high resolution of MRI and the development of sophisticated contrast agents offer the promise of molecular in vivo molecular imaging of the plaque. This may aid early intervention (e.g., lipid lowering drug regiments) in both primary and secondary treatment of vascular disease in all arterial beds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Imaging Science Laboratories, Box 1234, New York, NY 10029, USA. zahi.fayad@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Zahi A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Fayad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003287:Contrast Media; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media