The correlation between enhancement of middle cerebral artery atherosclerotic plaques and cerebral infarction: a high resolution MRI study
ZHANG Danfeng
JIANG Liang
ZHANG Weidong
WU Xinying
WANG Peng
SU Wen
YIN Xindao
Abstract：Objective To investigate the correlation between enhancement of middle cerebral artery ( MCA) atherosclerotic plaques and cerebral infarction using high resolution magnetic resonance ( HRMRI) . Methods Thirty-four consecutive patients with atherosclerotic MCA stenosis were imaged with a 3. 0 T MR scanner. The HRMRI protocol included black blood T1-weighted imaging, T2-weighted imaging, contrast enhancement T1 WI. The patients with hyperintense on diffusion-weighted imaging ( DWI) in distrilution of stenotic MCA were classified into acute infarction group;the others without hyperintense on DWI were enrolled in the non-acute infarction group. The degree of plaques enhancement was divided into obvious enhancement, mild enhancement, no enhancement. Then, the difference between acute infarction group and non-acute infarction group was compared. Results Acute infarction group had 15 cases, in which there were 11 cases in obvious enhancement, 1 case in mild enhancement, and 3 cases without enhancement;non-acute infarction group had 19 cases, in which these were 1 case in obvious enhancement, 4 cases in mild enhancement, and 14 cases without enhancement. The degree of plaques enhancement between two groups had statistical difference . The acute infarction group had more obvious enhancement plaques ( P = 0 . 000 ) , and less no enhancement plaques ( P =0. 005). Conclusion HRMRI could qualitatively assess enhancement of MCA atherosclerotic plaques, obvious enhance-ment plaques are more common in acute infarction group, indicating it' s instability.
Keywords：High-resolution MRIMiddle cerebral arteryAtherosclerotic plaquesCerebral infarction
Publication Date：2017-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 1657-1660 )