TY - JOUR
T1 - Imaging of atherosclerosis using magnetic resonance
T2 - State of the art and future directions
AU - Desai, Milind Y.
AU - Lima, João A.C.
PY - 2006/3/1
Y1 - 2006/3/1
N2 - Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized societies, and its incidence is projected to increase in the future. Because the atherosclerotic process begins in the vessel wall, the focus of cardiovascular imaging is shifting from the arterial lumen to imaging of the vessel wall, with the goal of detecting preclinical atherosclerosis. MRI, because of its high resolution, three-dimensional capabilities, noninvasive nature, and capacity for soft tissue characterization, is emerging as an important modality to assess the atherosclerotic plaque burden in the arterial wall and can monitor atherosclerosis in different arterial beds, including the carotid arteries, aorta, and more recently, the coronary arteries. Furthermore, it has also been successfully utilized to monitor plaque regression following therapeutic interventions. Finally, the emergence of high-resolution MRI and development of sophisticated contrast agents offers tremendous promise fo in vivo molecular imaging of the atherosclerotic plaque.
AB - Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized societies, and its incidence is projected to increase in the future. Because the atherosclerotic process begins in the vessel wall, the focus of cardiovascular imaging is shifting from the arterial lumen to imaging of the vessel wall, with the goal of detecting preclinical atherosclerosis. MRI, because of its high resolution, three-dimensional capabilities, noninvasive nature, and capacity for soft tissue characterization, is emerging as an important modality to assess the atherosclerotic plaque burden in the arterial wall and can monitor atherosclerosis in different arterial beds, including the carotid arteries, aorta, and more recently, the coronary arteries. Furthermore, it has also been successfully utilized to monitor plaque regression following therapeutic interventions. Finally, the emergence of high-resolution MRI and development of sophisticated contrast agents offers tremendous promise fo in vivo molecular imaging of the atherosclerotic plaque.
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U2 - 10.1007/s11883-006-0050-8
DO - 10.1007/s11883-006-0050-8
M3 - Review article
C2 - 16510047
AN - SCOPUS:33645073677
SN - 1523-3804
VL - 8
SP - 131
EP - 139
JO - Current atherosclerosis reports
JF - Current atherosclerosis reports
IS - 2
ER -