title: Noninvasive imaging of atheromatous carotid plaques.
abstract: Atherothrombosis is a systemic disease of the arterial wall that affects the carotid, coronary, and peripheral vascular beds, and the aorta. This condition is associated with complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and peripheral vascular disease, which usually result from unstable atheromatous plaques. The study of atheromatous plaques can provide useful information about the natural history and progression of the disease, and aid in the selection of appropriate treatment. Plaque imaging can be crucial in achieving this goal. In this Review, we focus on the various noninvasive imaging techniques that are being used for morphological and functional assessment of carotid atheromatous plaques in the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK. sadat.umar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sadat
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: Tjun Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gillard
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed