In Vitro Assessment of Histology Verified Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease by 1.5T Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD), as a most common cause of ischemic stroke, has been drawing increased attentions of clinicians and researchers in the worldwide. Advanced imaging techniques, especially High Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging (HRMRI), could visualize the pathology of intracranial arterial diseases. However, current knowledge about histology of intracranial atherosclerosis lags behind the development of updated imaging modalities due to lacking of vessel specimens. Our previous post-mortem study showed that both luminal stenosis and percentage of lipid area or intraplaque neovasculature may play a key role in leading to ischemic stroke. Recent clinical trial studies on carotid arteries showed that, in addition to luminal stenosis, plaque eccentricity (symmetry) is among the plaque features associated with more frequent cerebrovascular events. The aim of the current study was to investigate the eccentricity of histology-verified intracranial atherosclerotic lesions on 1.5T MRI vessel wall imaging and its potential clinical implications.