title: Quantitative Intracranial Atherosclerotic Plaque Characterization at 7T MRI: An Ex Vivo Study with Histologic Validation.
abstract: In recent years, several high-resolution vessel wall MR imaging techniques have emerged for the characterization of intracranial atherosclerotic vessel wall lesions in vivo. However, a thorough validation of MR imaging results of intracranial plaques with histopathology is still lacking. The aim of this study was to characterize atherosclerotic plaque components in a quantitative manner by obtaining the MR signal characteristics (T1, T2, T2*, and proton density) at 7T in ex vivo circle of Willis specimens and using histopathology for validation.
  
  
  
  A multiparametric ultra-high-resolution quantitative MR imaging protocol was performed at 7T to identify the MR signal characteristics of different intracranial atherosclerotic plaque components, and using histopathology for validation. In total, 38 advanced plaques were matched between MR imaging and histology, and ROI analysis was performed on the identified tissue components.
  
  
  
  Mean T1, T2, and T2* relaxation times and proton density values were significantly different between different tissue components. The quantitative T1 map showed the most differences among individual tissue components of intracranial plaques with significant differences in T1 values between lipid accumulation (T1 = 838 ± 167 ms), fibrous tissue (T1 = 583 ± 161 ms), fibrous cap (T1 = 481 ± 98 ms), calcifications (T1 = 314 ± 39 ms), and the intracranial arterial vessel wall (T1 = 436 ± 122 ms).
  
  
  
  Different tissue components of advanced intracranial plaques have distinguishable imaging characteristics with ultra-high-resolution quantitative MR imaging at 7T. Based on this study, the most promising method for distinguishing intracranial plaque components is T1-weighted imaging.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.A.H., J.C.W.S., J.J.M.Z., D.W.J.K., P.R.L., J.H., A.G.v.d.K.) a.a.harteveld-2@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: A A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3379-0710
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Harteveld
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology (N.P.D., M.J.D.), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: N P
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5420-3909
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Denswil
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.A.H., J.C.W.S., J.J.M.Z., D.W.J.K., P.R.L., J.H., A.G.v.d.K.).
authors.forename: J C W
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5079-2868
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Siero
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.A.H., J.C.W.S., J.J.M.Z., D.W.J.K., P.R.L., J.H., A.G.v.d.K.) Image Sciences Institute (J.J.M.Z.), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J M
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4282-5719
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zwanenburg
authors.affiliation: Pathology (A.V., W.G.M.S.).
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9371-8788
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vink
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics (B.P.) Rheumatology (B.P.) Department of Biomedical Engineering (B.P.), Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: B
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1986-3741
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pouran
authors.affiliation: Pathology (A.V., W.G.M.S.).
authors.forename: W G M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4038-3264
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Spliet
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.A.H., J.C.W.S., J.J.M.Z., D.W.J.K., P.R.L., J.H., A.G.v.d.K.).
authors.forename: D W J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5884-5386
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Klomp
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.A.H., J.C.W.S., J.J.M.Z., D.W.J.K., P.R.L., J.H., A.G.v.d.K.).
authors.forename: P R
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8040-8449
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Luijten
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology (N.P.D., M.J.D.), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: M J
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1076-199X
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Daemen
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.A.H., J.C.W.S., J.J.M.Z., D.W.J.K., P.R.L., J.H., A.G.v.d.K.).
authors.forename: J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6384-6140
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendrikse
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Radiology (A.A.H., J.C.W.S., J.J.M.Z., D.W.J.K., P.R.L., J.H., A.G.v.d.K.).
authors.forename: A G
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8267-8848
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: van der Kolk
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology