Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
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J Cardiovasc Magn Reson · Sep 2014
Comparative StudyHigh resolution 3D diffusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance of carotid vessel wall to detect lipid core without contrast media.
Without the need of contrast media, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has shown great promise for accurate detection of lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), a well-known feature of vulnerable plaques. However, limited resolution and poor image quality in vivo with conventional single-shot diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging (SS-DWEPI) has hindered its clinical application. The aim of this work is to develop a diffusion-prepared turbo-spin-echo (DP-TSE) technique for carotid plaque characterization with 3D high resolution and improved image quality. ⋯ Diffusion-prepared CMR allows, for the first time, 3D DWI of the carotid arterial wall in vivo with high spatial resolution and improved image quality over SS-DWEPI. It can potentially detect LRNC without the use of contrast agents, allowing plaque characterization in patients with renal insufficiency.