title: Diffusion measurement of intraplaque hemorrhage and intramural hematoma using diffusion weighted MRI at 3T in cervical artery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the difference between carotid haemorrhagic plaque and non-haemorrhagic plaque by using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and to evaluate carotid intraplaque haemorrhage (IPH) and intramural hematoma (IMH) of cervical artery dissection with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one symptomatic patients underwent 3.0-T carotid MR imaging, including conventional sequences, three-dimensional (3D) magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) sequence, and DWI. Thirty-nine patients with carotid plaque and eight patients with IMH of cervical artery dissection were finally included. The groups of hemorrhagic plaque, non-hemorrhagic plaque and IMH were divided according to 3D MPRAGE sequence. ADC values of different groups were measured, and t tests were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ADC values of hemorrhagic plaques, non-hemorrhagic plaque and IMH were (1.284 ± 0.327) × 10(-3)mm(2)/s, (1.766 ± 0.477) × 10(-3)mm(2)/s, and (0.563 ± 0.119) × 10(-3)mm(2)/s, respectively. The mean ADC values of hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic regions in the hemorrhagic plaque group were (0.985 ± 0.376) × 10(-3)mm(2)/s and (1.480 ± 0.465) × 10(-3)mm(2)/s, respectively. The differences between the hemorrhagic plaque and non-hemorrhagic plaque, hemorrhagic region and non-hemorrhagic region in hemorrhagic plaque, and the hemorrhagic region in the hemorrhagic plaque and IMH of artery dissection were significant (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DWI may be a useful complement to conventional MR imaging for identifying haemorrhage of carotid plaques and differentiate IMHs from IPH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • ADC values of IPH are lower than the plaque without IPH. • DWI might be a useful complement to identify IPH. • IMH may be differentiated from IPH by using DWI.
authors.affiliation: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China. wgb7932596@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Guangbin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Honglu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huihua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Philips Healthcare, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weibo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Philips Healthcare, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Queenie
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020215:Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004058:Diffusion; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: ADC; Carotid intraplaque haemorrhage; Cervical artery dissection; Diffusion-weighted imaging; Intramural hematoma; MRI