Abstract #2183

Isbell D, Meyer C, Rogers W, Epstein F, DiMaria J, Harthun N, Wang H, Kramer C

A high resolution, noninvasive approach to quantifying atherosclerotic plaque in the periphery could have significant clinical and research utility. Fourteen patients with peripheral arterial disease were studied in a 1.5T scanner. Atherosclerotic plaque volume was measured and interobserver, intraobserver, and test-retest variability determined. Sixteen peripheral vessels were studied with total image acquisition time of 12.8 minutes per vessel. Mean volume was 6.76 3.36cm3. For intra-observer R=0.997; inter-observer R = 0.993; test-retest reproducibility R= 0.996. Thus, high resolution measurement of plaque volume in the superficial femoral artery in peripheral arterial disease is feasible, rapid, and reproducible.