title: Multicontrast-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerotic plaques at 3.0 and 1.5 Tesla: ex-vivo comparison with histopathologic correlation.
abstract: The purpose was to analyze magnetic resonance (MR) plaque imaging at 3.0 Tesla and 1.5 Tesla in correlation with histopathology. MR imaging (MRI) of the abdominal aorta and femoral artery was performed on seven corpses using T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and PD-weighted sequences at 3.0 and 1.5 Tesla. Cross-sectional images at the branching of the inferior mesenteric artery and the profunda femoris were rated with respect to image quality. Corresponding cross sections of the imaged vessels were obtained at autopsy. The atherosclerotic plaques in the histological slides and MR images were classified according to the American Heart Association (AHA) and analyzed for differences. MRI at 3.0 Tesla offered superior depiction of arterial wall composition in all contrast weightings, rated best for T2-weighted images. Comparing for field strength, the highest differences were observed in T1-weighted and T2-weighted techniques (both P< or =0.001), with still significant differences in PD-weighted sequence (P< or =0.005). The majority of plaques were histologically classified as calcified plaques. In up to 21% of the cases, MRI at both field strengths detected signal loss characteristic of calcification although calcified plaque was absent in histology. MRI at 3.0 Tesla offers superior plaque imaging quality compared with 1.5 Tesla, but further work is necessary to determine whether this translates in superior diagnostic accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. koops@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koops
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ittrich
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petri
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Priest
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stork
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lockemann
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged