Lipid lowering by simvastatin induces regression of human atherosclerotic lesions. Two years’ follow-up by high-resolution noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging

Interstudy reproducibility of three‐dimensional volume‐selective fast spin echo magnetic resonance for quantifying carotid artery wall volume

“…The mean TWV for the two MR scans was 741 and 734 mm 3 , respectively, which were not significantly different from each other (mean difference 7 mm 3 , P ϭ 0.5). The SD of the differences between the measurements was 33 mm 3 , yielding a COV of 4.4%.…”

“…The SD of the differences between the measurements was 33 mm 3 , yielding a COV of 4.4%. The correlation between the two scans was high (r ϭ 0.99; Fig.…”

“…CMR permits accurate, noninvasive, serial in vivo measurements of artery wall dimensions without the need for ionizing radiation. Also, it provides tomographic assessment with consistent localization, which enables identification of arterial remodeling over time; clinical results have been reported for the aorta and carotid artery (3,4). However, these reports used a two-dimensional fast spin echo (FSE) technique.…”

Assessment of the carotid artery by MRI at 3T: A study on reproducibility

“…Excellent image quality with high vessel wall-lumen contrast was obtained in all subjects, and a good reproducibility of the MinT and MaxT measurements at a predefined position in the common carotid artery relative to the flow divider was demonstrated. The reliability of MRI measurements at 1.5T was previously demonstrated in a population with preexisting atherosclerotic plaques (16). Errors in the vessel wall area of 2.6% and 3.5% were reported for the aortic and carotid plaques, respectively.…”

“…In a follow-up study of patients on statin therapy, no luminal changes were observed in the thoracic aorta by MRI after a short treatment period of six months, but plaque volume and area decreased significantly (12). Prolonged treatment has been shown to significantly increase the luminal area with a range of 4% to 6% in both the aorta and the carotid artery, along with a regression in the vessel wall thickness and area of up to 20% (11). The W/L index together with the TLA could also provide information about the early stages of the atherosclerotic process, during which outward remodeling can occur.…”