Key result
Advanced CT and MR imaging techniques enable the characterization of vulnerable carotid plaque features, improving stroke risk stratification beyond traditional luminal stenosis assessment.
Why the study?
Even when standard arterial luminal imaging fails to show stenosis in stroke patients, non-stenotic vulnerable plaques may cause stroke, driving a shift toward CT- and MR-based plaque characterization.
How do CT and MR imaging techniques characterize vulnerable carotid plaques for risk stratification and management?
How do CT and MR imaging techniques characterize vulnerable carotid plaques for risk stratification and management?
Advanced CT and MR imaging of the carotid artery wall allows for the identification of vulnerable, non-stenotic plaques that may be responsible for strokes, improving risk stratification.
Non-stenotic carotid plaques may explain cryptogenic strokes; leaves open optimal wall imaging for vulnerable plaque detection.
Imaging of the carotid artery wall is the focus of several ongoing research studies that are investigating the optimal approach to identify so-called âvulnerable plaquesâ. Even when standard arterial luminal imaging fails to indicate a stenosis in stroke patients, a non-stenotic plaque may be responsible for the stroke. Indeed, over the past decade there has been a paradigm shift in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with carotid artery disease, whereby nowadays more emphasis is put on plaque characterization, mainly by using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR), in addition to the usual assessment of stenosis and surface irregularities. In this review, we will discuss current state-of-the-art CT and MR techniques to characterize vulnerable plaques and summarize current developments in imaging-based assessment of carotid plaques, in order to identify ideal candidates for revascularization and to monitor the effects of medical therapy.
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Saba et al. (2019) conducted a review in Carotid atherosclerotic disease. Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) Imaging was evaluated. Advanced CT and MR imaging techniques enable the characterization of vulnerable carotid plaque features, improving stroke risk stratification beyond traditional luminal stenosis assessment.
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