Premium
Phased‐Array Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Carotid Artery Bifurcation: Preliminary Results in Healthy Volunteers and a Patient with Aherosclerotic Disease
Author(s) -
Yuan Chun,
Murakami James W.,
Hayes Cecil E.,
Tsuruda Jay S.,
Hatsukami Thomas S.,
Wildy Kathryn S.,
Ferguson Marina S.,
Strandness D. Eugene
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.1880050515
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , carotid endarterectomy , carotid bifurcation , radiology , fast spin echo , electromagnetic coil , nuclear medicine , stenosis , physics , quantum mechanics
A high resolution MR Imaging technique using a amtom designed flexible phased‐array surface coil was developed to examine the wall of the carotid artery bifuraction in vivo. The phaecd‐array consisted of two overlapping coils which increased the image signal‐to‐noise ratio at the depth of the carotid artery by approximately 70%, relative to a similarly sized single loop coil. The imaging protocol included a 2D T1‐weighted (TIW) spin‐echo scan and cardiac gated T2‐weighted and proton density‐weighted (PDW) fast Spin‐echo (FSE) scans. Images where obtained of six healthy volunteers and of one patient with known atherosclerotic dirreaw several days before carotid endartuectomy. On TIW and PDW images of the healthy volunteers. the carotid arterial wall appeared to be comprised of two concentric rings; a high signal inner ring and a lower signal outer ring. The MR images of the patient revealed a calcified carotid bifurcation plaque which was confirmed during surgery. The endarterectomy specimen WM imaged in vitro with MR and then sectioned histologically for correlation with the patients in vivo images. Our preliminary findings indicate that a high resolution technique may provide a noninvasive technique to study atherosclerosis of the carotid bifurcation.