title: Plaques in the descending aorta: a new risk factor for stroke? Visualization of potential embolization pathways by 4D MRI.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harloff
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strecker
authors.forename: Alex P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Frydrychowicz
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dudler
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hetzel
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geibel
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kollum
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiller
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markl
mesh_terms: 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*