الفهرس 
Introduction
MRI characterization of vulnerable carotid plaqueOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
MRI is now the most promising technique for imaging of atherosclerotic plaque thanks to its high tissue analysis potential (Nandalur et al., 2005). MR imaging is well suited for this role because it is noninvasive, does not involve ionizing radiation, enables visualization of the vessel lumen and wall, and can be repeated serially to track progression or regression (Choudhury et al., 2002) Because of the versatility of currently available pulse sequences, the superior ability to differentiate different soft tissues, MRI is uniquely suited for serial imaging of both the arterial lumen and the vessel wall. The basic MRI sequence requirements for vessel wall imaging are high spatial resolution, high contrast between different plaque components, and suppression of extrinsic motion, as well as signal from flowing blood weightings (Fayad et al., 1994 & Yuan et al., 1994). MR imaging has the potential to help identify most of the consensus criteria for the identification of vulnerable plaque in carotid arteries by using a variety of proposed image-acquisition and contrast enhancement techniques. Thus far, there is not a single MR technique that can be used to assess all the vulnerable plaque criteria, and it remains to be seen which imaging approach, if any, will be commonly used in clinical practice. While some of the proposed image acquisition techniques rely on one or two MR sequences, others are based on the acquisition of multiple contrast-weighted images (Saam et al., 2007). In vivo high-resolution CEMRI can provide quantitative measurements of the intact FC and LR-NC. This new capability may be useful in prospective studies evaluating plaque vulnerability by providing continuous variables for measuring the FC and LR-NC in progression and regression studies. CEMRI visualization and measurement of the FC may lead to new insights into the in vivo dynamics of plaque composition and vulnerability. Accurate measurement of the LR-NC provides another parameter with which to follow up pharmacological intervention, such as lipid-lowering treatment. (Saam et al., 2005).