Plaques in the descending aorta: A new risk factor for stroke? visualization of potential embolization pathways by 4D MRI

Andreas Harloff, Christoph Strecker, Alex P. Frydrychowicz, Patrick Dudler, Andreas Hetzel, Annette Geibel, Marc Kollum, Cornelius Weiller, Jürgen Hennig, Michael Markl*

*Corresponding author for this work
25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The combination of morphologic and hemodynamic information can help in assessing the risk of embolic stroke associated with thrombi and plaques in the descending aorta. For two acute stroke patients, the determination of individual embolic pathways using flow-sensitive four-dimensional (4D) MRI are reported. 3D visualization of local flow patterns, i.e., retrograde flow channels originating at the site of the atheroma, in conjunction with exact plaque localization, suggested potential embolization of high-risk plaques in the descending aorta although they are located downstream from the supraaortic arteries. Our findings indicate that taking plaques of the descending aorta into consideration may help improve the spectrum of pathologies considered as high-risk sources for brain ischemia.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Volume26
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)1651-1655
Number of pages5
ISSN1053-1807
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.12.2007

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