• Young Kwang Lee, Hyo Sung Kwak, Gyung Ho Chung, and Seung Bae Hwang.
• Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeon-Ju 54907, Korea.
• Diagnostics (Basel). 2019 Jul 2; 9 (3).

PurposeWe wished to evaluate the lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) using contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CE-T1W) black-blood (BB) imaging for vessel walls.MethodsNinety-five patients with basilar artery (BA) stenosis who underwent magnetic resonance angiography between January 2016 and August 2018 were enrolled into this present study. CE-T1W BB imaging was considered as a reference method for identifying an LRNC.ResultsTen (10.5%) patients were identified as having an LRNC on CE-T1W BB imaging. Of these patients, 9 had acute symptoms. The extent of stenosis in patients with an LRNC on CE-T1W BB imaging was significantly greater than that of patients without an LRNC (p < 0.001). The maximum wall thickness in patients with an LRNC on CE-T1W imaging was significantly thicker than that of patients without an LRNC (p = 0.008).ConclusionsIdentification of an LRNC on CE-T1W BB imaging was associated with high-grade stenosis and massive plaque burden from BA atherosclerosis.

4 keywords...

hide…