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Vascular wall elasticity measurement by magnetic resonance imaging
Author(s) -
Woodrum D.A.,
Romano A.J.,
Lerman A.,
Pandya U.H.,
Brosh D.,
Rossman P.J.,
Lerman L.O.,
Ehman R.L.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.20991
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance elastography , biomedical engineering , elastography , elasticity (physics) , ex vivo , materials science , magnetic resonance imaging , in vivo , stiffness , elastic modulus , arterial wall , stenosis , young's modulus , nuclear magnetic resonance , acoustics , radiology , physics , medicine , composite material , ultrasound , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
The goal of this current study was to determine whether an MRI‐based elastography (MRE) method can visualize and assess propagating mechanical waves within fluid‐filled vessels and to investigate the feasibility of measuring the elastic properties of vessel walls and quantitatively assessing stenotic lesions by using MRE. The ability to measure the Young's modulus‐wall thickness product was tested using a thin‐walled latex vessel model. Also tested in vessel models was the ability to quantitate the degree of stenosis by measuring transmitted and reflected mechanical waves. This method was then applied to ex vivo porcine models and in vivo human arteries to further test its feasibility. The results provide preliminary evidence that MRE can be used to quantitatively assess the stiffness of blood vessels, and provide a non‐morphologic method to measure stenosis. With further development, it is possible that the method can be implemented in vivo. Magn Reson Med, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.