Plaques in the descending aorta: a new risk factor for stroke? Visualization of potential embolization pathways by 4D MRI.
The combination of morphologic and hemodynamic information can help in assessing the risk of embolic stroke associated with thrombi and plaques in the descending aorta. For two acute stroke patients, the determination of individual embolic pathways using flow-sensitive four-dimensional (4D) MRI are reported. 3D visualization of local flow patterns, i.e., retrograde flow channels originating at the site of the atheroma, in conjunction with exact plaque localization, suggested potential embolization of high-risk plaques in the descending aorta although they are located downstream from the supraaortic arteries. Our findings indicate that taking plaques of the descending aorta into consideration may help improve the spectrum of pathologies considered as high-risk sources for brain ischemia.
Harloff
Andreas
A
Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Strecker
Christoph
C
Frydrychowicz
Alex P
AP
Dudler
Patrick
P
Hetzel
Andreas
A
Geibel
Annette
A
Kollum
Marc
M
Weiller
Cornelius
C
Hennig
Jürgen
J
Markl
Michael
M
D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*