Abstract #0031

Complex Plaques in the Descending Aorta as a Potential Source of Stroke Visualization of Potential Retrograde Flow Into the Supra-Aortic Arteries Using Multi-Directional 4D Velocity Mapping at 3 Tesla

Andreas Harloff¹, Jan Simon¹, stefanie Brendecke¹, Wolf Wallis¹, Dawit Assefa², Alex Frydrychowicz³, Johannes Weber⁴, Jrgen Hennig³, Cornelius Weiller¹, Michael Markl³

¹Neurology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; ²Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; ³Diagnostic Radiology, MR Physics, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; ⁴Neuroradiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Detection of the precise localization of plaques in the descending aorta using 3D MRI in combination with multi-directional 4D velocity mapping was used to systematically analyze retrograde embolic pathways within the aorta of acute stroke patients. Similar distribution of descending aortic plaque distance and extent of retrograde flow indicate the potential for retrograde embolization in these patients. Particularly, we assessed how frequently the brachiocephalic trunk, the left common carotid and/or subclavian artery were reached by individual flow channels originating directly at the atheroma in the descending aorta.