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Functional Imaging of Carotid Atheromatous Plaques
Author(s) -
Warburton Liz,
Gillard Jonathan
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2006.00045.x
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , stenosis , radiology , fibrous cap , stroke (engine) , carotid arteries , molecular imaging , cardiology , mechanical engineering , engineering , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , in vivo
Atherosclerotic plaque rupture within the internal carotid artery is an important cause of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke. Conventional imaging techniques such as ultrasound and angiography provide information about the structural consequences of such plaques in terms of luminal stenosis. Most clinical trials of carotid surgery and stenting and based on these imaging methods. Techniques aimed at imaging the biological ‘functional’ status of the plaque are now emerging. Most of these are based on the premise that inflammatory activity is an index of plaque stability. In this article we review potential imaging targets from the known molecular biological pathways of atherosclerosis. Both conventional imaging techniques and the newer methods are discussed. Recent data from position emission tomography (PET) imaging and from the use of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are shown.