Effect of contrast enhancement on the measurement of carotid arterial lumen and wall volume using MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast enhancement (CE) affects high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of carotid arterial wall volume.


METHODS
The common carotid artery (CCA), bifurcation, and internal carotid artery (ICA) of 50 consecutive patients were imaged using 1.5T MRI. T1-weighted (T1W) images were obtained before and after Gd administration. Pre- and post-CE measurements were compared among different arterial locations of the CCA, bifurcation, and ICA, and among different atherosclerotic lesion types.


RESULTS
In comparison to pre-CE T1W images, post-CE images showed an increase in the apparent wall volume measurement of 28.2% (108.7 mm3 vs. 84.7 mm3, P < 0.001). The post-CE measurement increases in wall volume for the CCA, bifurcation, and ICA were 26.7%, 29.2%, and 28.0%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Gd CE causes a significant increase in the apparent volume of the carotid wall throughout multiple carotid artery locations, which may be associated with improved visibility or neovascularization.
Phan
Binh An P
BA
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98103-8771, USA. bapp@u.washington.edu
Chu
Baocheng
B
Kerwin
William S
WS
Xu
Dongxiang
D
Yuan
Chun
C
Hatsukami
Thomas
T
Zhao
Xue-Qiao
XQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D003287:Contrast Media; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA