BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Inflammation of an atherosclerotic plaque is a well-known risk factor in the development of ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction. MR imaging is capable of characterizing inflammation by assessing plaque enhancement in both extracranial carotid arteries and coronary arteries. Our goal was to determine whether enhancing intracranial atherosclerotic plaque was present in the vessel supplying the territory of infarction by using high-resolution vessel wall MR imaging.