Imaging of plaque cellular activity with contrast enhanced MRI.
A new horizon in imaging of atherosclerotic plaque is the use of contrast enhancing agents to investigate molecular and cellular markers. This chapter reviews the state of the art in contrast-enhanced imaging of atherosclerotic plaque. Topics include enhancement characteristics of different plaque tissues, modeling of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, and targeted contrast agents. For each topic, specific techniques for image acquisition and post-processing are presented. Quantitative results are summarized for experiments conducted with histological validation. Finally, potential applications of these techniques in detecting vulnerable lesions and in drug development are discussed.
Kerwin
William
W
University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
D015415:Biomarkers; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic
D015415:Biomarkers; D003287:Contrast Media