Magnetic Resonance Angiography of Thoracic Aortic Atherosclerosis in Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Abnormalities of the aorta and great vessels were assessed from surface renderings and virtual angioscopy by three radiologists blinded to the clinical history. Wall irregularity was scored on a scale of 0 (normal) to 4 (abnormal). Scores of 2 or more (average readings for the three radiologists) were considered to be indicative of pathology. The incremental value of virtual endoscopic views over and above the surface renderings was also assessed on a 5-point scale (0, lowest; 4, highest). Results were compared to contrast angiograms which were available for all 15 patients. Sensitivity and specificity were computed by dividing the aorta into 3 territories (ascending, arch, and descending). Averages are expressed as mean&standard eviation.