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Imaging Approaches to the Diagnosis of Vascular Diseases

  • Vascular Biology (H. Pownall, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Atherosclerosis Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Vascular imaging is a complex field including numerous modalities and imaging markers. This review is focused on important and recent findings in atherosclerotic carotid artery plaque imaging with an emphasis on developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).

Recent Findings

Recent evidence shows that carotid plaque characteristics and not only established measures of carotid plaque burden and stenosis are associated independently with cardiovascular outcomes. On carotid MRI, the presence of a lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) has been associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) events independent of wall thickness, a traditional measure of plaque burden. On carotid MRI, intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) presence has been identified as an independent predictor of stroke. The presence of a fissured carotid fibrous cap has been associated with contrast enhancement on CT angiography imaging.

Summary

Carotid artery plaque characteristics have been associated with incident CVD events, and advanced plaque imaging techniques may gain additional prominence in the clinical treatment decision process.

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Funding

This work was supported in part with funding from the National Institutes of Health (R01HL137763, K25HL121149, both to GB).

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  1. Olga A. Gimnich and Ahsan Zil-E-Ali both authors contributed equally.

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  1. Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA

    Olga A. Gimnich, Ahsan Zil-E-Ali & Gerd Brunner

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  1. Olga A. Gimnich
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  2. Ahsan Zil-E-Ali
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Correspondence to Gerd Brunner.

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Gimnich, O.A., Zil-E-Ali, A. & Brunner, G. Imaging Approaches to the Diagnosis of Vascular Diseases. Curr Atheroscler Rep 24, 85–96 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-022-00988-x

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