High resolution carotid black-blood 3T MR with parallel imaging and dedicated 4-channel surface coils

• Main Authors: Frey Ute, Clevert Dirk A, Dietrich Olaf, Meimarakis Georgios, Bochmann Katja, Cyran Clemens C, Raya Jose G, Saam Tobias, Yuan Chun, Hatsukami Thomas S, Werf Abe, Reiser Maximilian F, Nikolaou Konstantin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2009-10-01
• Series: Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
• Online Access: http://www.jcmr-online.com/content/11/1/41
• ISSN: 1097-6647; 1532-429X

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most of the carotid plaque MR studies have been performed using black-blood protocols at 1.5 T without parallel imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multi-sequence, black-blood MR protocol using parallel imaging and a dedicated 4-channel surface coil for vessel wall imaging of the carotid arteries at 3 T.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>14 healthy volunteers and 14 patients with intimal thickening as proven by duplex ultrasound had their carotid arteries imaged at 3 T using a multi-sequence protocol (time-of-flight MR angiography, pre-contrast T1w-, PDw- and T2w sequences in the volunteers, additional post-contrast T1w- and dynamic contrast enhanced sequences in patients). To assess intrascan reproducibility, 10 volunteers were scanned twice within 2 weeks.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Intrascan reproducibility for quantitative measurements of lumen, wall and outer wall areas was excellent with Intraclass Correlation Coefficients >0.98 and measurement errors of 1.5%, 4.5% and 1.9%, respectively. Patients had larger wall areas than volunteers in both common carotid and internal carotid arteries and smaller lumen areas in internal carotid arteries (p < 0.001). Positive correlations were found between wall area and cardiovascular risk factors such as age, hypertension, coronary heart disease and hypercholesterolemia (Spearman's r = 0.45-0.76, p < 0.05). No significant correlations were found between wall area and body mass index, gender, diabetes or a family history of cardiovascular disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings of this study indicate that high resolution carotid black-blood 3 T MR with parallel imaging is a fast, reproducible and robust method to assess carotid atherosclerotic plaque in vivo and this method is ready to be used in clinical practice.</p>