Carotid plaque signal differences among four kinds of T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging techniques: A histopathological correlation study

Abstract

Among T1W MR imaging techniques, non-gated SE images can more accurately characterize intraplaque components in patients who underwent CEA when compared with cardiac-gated BB-FSE, MPRAGE, and SI-MRA images.

Carotid Intraplaque Hemorrhage Imaging: Diagnostic Value of High Signal Intensity Time-of-Flight MR Angiography Compared with Magnetization-Prepared Rapid Acquisition with Gradient-Echo Sequencing

“…The sensitivity of the high signal intensity halo for detecting carotid IPH was 91%. Saito et al (16) reported that carotid IPH signal differences between spine echo, MPRAGE, and TOF by 1.5-T MR show similar accuracies for characterizing plaque components using histopathological information. However, Ota et al (8) reported the diagnostic performance of three T1-weighted MR sequences, 2D fast spin-echo, 3D TOF, and 3D MPRAGE, on carotid IPH imaging, using histologic analysis as the standard of reference.…”

“…Our study did not include patients who had received carotid endarterectomy, therefore histologic results were not available. Previous studies have demonstrated the diagnostic usefulness of MPRAGE sequence for IPH detection (8,16). Second, a relatively small number of patients were examined, and it was a retrospective design.…”

Predicting Carotid Plaque Characteristics Using Quantitative Color-Coded T1-Weighted MR Plaque Imaging: Correlation with Carotid Endarterectomy Specimens

“…Various imaging protocols and techniques have been applied in MR plaque imaging, and the results in previous reports have varied. 5,7,[10][11][12][13]16,17 Of these protocols, an electrocardiographgated 2D fast SE technique with a black-blood method is commonly applied. 10,16 However, this method is generally complicated and time-consuming and can obtain only a few sections of imaging.…”

“…In this method, moreover, the heart rate of patients forces the TR to be inappropriate, resulting in deterioration of image contrast. 6,7,17 A magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition of gradient echo technique has also been widely used. 18,19 In this technique, however, an inversion pulse for suppressing the blood signal is nonspecific and can attenuate the signal of the lipid/necrotic component that has T1 relaxation times similar to those of blood.…”

“…10,17,20,21 This technique can provide stable T1-related contrast but no black-blood effects, suggesting that it would be unsuitable for quantitative analysis based on signal intensity. Recently, a direct comparison of the 4 techniques revealed that the T1-weighted SE technique showed excellent intraplaque contrast and could accurately characterize the main intraplaque components.…”