title: Middle Cerebral Artery Atherosclerotic Plaques in Recent Small Subcortical Infarction: A Three-Dimensional High-resolution MR Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Conventional two-dimensional vessel wall imaging has been used to depict the middle cerebral artery (MCA) wall in patients with recent small subcortical infarctions (RSSIs). However, its clinical use has been limited by restricted spatial coverage, low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and long scan time. We used a novel three-dimensional high-resolution MR imaging (3D HR-MRI) technique to investigate the presence, locations, and contrast-enhanced patterns of MCA plaques and their relationship with RSSI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen consecutive patients with RSSI but no luminal stenosis on MR angiography were prospectively enrolled. 3D HR-MRI was performed using a T1w-SPACE sequence at 3.0 T. The presence, locations, and contrast-enhanced patterns of the MCA plaques on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides to the RSSI were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen patients successfully completed the study. MCA atherosclerotic plaques occurred more frequently on the ipsilateral than the contralateral side to the RSSI (72.2% versus 33.3%, P = 0.044). The occurrence of superiorly located plaques was significantly higher on the ipsilateral than the contralateral side of the MCA (66.7% versus 27.8%; P = 0.044).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Superiorly located plaques are closely associated with RSSI. 3D high-resolution vessel wall imaging may be a potential tool for etiologic assessment of ischemic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Yiu-Cho
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China ; Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Beijing 100053, China ; Neurodegenerative Laboratory of Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100053, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China ; Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Beijing 100053, China ; Neurodegenerative Laboratory of Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100053, China.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography