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The Role of MRI in Examining Subclinical Carotid Plaque

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Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

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Abstract

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. The degree of luminal narrowing evaluated by angiography is the standard for assessing the risk of stroke in patients with carotid atherosclerosis and for determining the need for surgical intervention. However, multiple studies have shown that clinical events arise not from the degree of stenosis but from the morphologic characteristics and plaque composition. This is borne out by the difference in absolute risk reduction between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who receive surgical carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Future clinical practice may diagnose patients with high-risk atherosclerosis, based on plaque characteristics and morphology rather than the degree of stenosis alone. Carotid MRI is a noninvasive imaging method that can provide information on atherosclerotic plaque morphology, composition, and progression or regression. This chapter describes the current capabilities of MRI for visualizing carotid atherosclerosis, including MRI protocols to appropriately evaluate carotid plaque, the image features of carotid arteries, and the future direction of carotid MR imaging and how it can be better used for the management of patients with subclinical atherosclerosis, resulting in a higher quality of life.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Vascular Imaging Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Chun Yuan, Hideki Ota, Xihai Zhao & Tom Hatsukami

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  1. Chun Yuan
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  2. Hideki Ota
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  3. Xihai Zhao
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  4. Tom Hatsukami
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Endothelix, Inc., El Rio 8275, Houston, 77054, USA

    Morteza Naghavi

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Yuan, C., Ota, H., Zhao, X., Hatsukami, T. (2011). The Role of MRI in Examining Subclinical Carotid Plaque. In: Naghavi, M. (eds) Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-179-0_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-179-0_27

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-178-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-179-0

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