Magnetic Resonance Elastography for Measuring the Compliance of Occlusive Vascular Disease

Brian S. Kates¹, Kevan J. T. Anderson¹, Graham A. Wright¹

Percutaneous arterial revascularization of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) is hindered by the presence of a hard proximal fibrous cap and lack of image guidance. A technique is presented for measuring the stiffness of occlusive lesions that may facilitate revascularization by helping the process of guidewire selection and placement. In this study, static magnetic resonance elastography is explored as a method of determining the stiffness of CTOs. The technique is demonstrated in a CTO phantom made of agar and gelatin, and displacement images are obtained using a stimulated echo MR imaging pulse sequence and a pneumatic compression system.