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Molecular MRI of Atherosclerosis Burden

  • Cardiac Molecular Imaging (F Jaffer, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a systemic vascular disease predominantly affecting the intima of central and peripheral arteries. Its complications, myocardial infarction and stroke, remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world and developing countries. Angiographic imaging methods are the current gold standard for the clinical graduation of coronary and carotid artery disease and the guidance of treatment. These techniques are however limited to the assessment of the extent of luminal narrowing. MRI is a noninvasive modality, which allows the direct evaluation of the thin arterial vessel wall with excellent soft tissue contrast and high spatial resolution. Targeted MR contrast agents enable the evaluation of specific cellular and subcellular markers on a molecular level. This review will introduce and discuss novel molecular MR imaging techniques for the assessment of plaque and inflammatory burden in the context of atherosclerosis. Both measures can provide additional information beyond the assessment of luminal stenosis alone.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    René M. Botnar & Marcus R. Makowski

  2. BHF Centre of Excellence, King’s College London, London, UK

    René M. Botnar & Marcus R. Makowski

  3. Wellcome Trust and EPSRC Medical Engineering Center, King’s College London, London, UK

    René M. Botnar

  4. NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, King’s College London, London, UK

    René M. Botnar

  5. Department of Radiology, Charite, Berlin, Germany

    Marcus R. Makowski

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  1. René M. Botnar
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  2. Marcus R. Makowski
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Correspondence to Marcus R. Makowski.

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Botnar, R.M., Makowski, M.R. Molecular MRI of Atherosclerosis Burden. Curr Cardiovasc Imaging Rep 5, 26–35 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12410-011-9116-2

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