In Vivo Detection of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

alkystis phinikaridou¹, Frederick L. Ruberg, Hallock J. Kevin, Ye Qiao², Ning Hua, Jason Viereck, James A. Hamilton

We used a rabbit model of controlled atherothrombosis to test whether in vivo MRI can distinguish between plaques that disrupt after pharmacological triggering (vulnerable) and those that do not (stable). In vivo MRI revealed that stable and vulnerable plaques had similar percent of stenosis, but vulnerable plaques more frequently showed: (1) positive remodeling, in which the plaque remains hidden within the vessel wall; and (2) enhanced gadolinium uptake associated with histological features of neovascularization, inflammation, and necrosis. These findings suggest that in vivo MRI may be used for localization of plaques that are prone to disruption prior to acute events.