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Atherosclerotic aortic component quantification by noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging: an in vivo study in rabbits

G.érard Helft, MD, PhD^* , Stephen G. Worthley, MBBS, FRACP^* , Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, FACC, Azfar G. Zaman, MD, MRCP^* , Clyde Schechter, MD, Julio I. Osende, MD^* , Oswaldo J. Rodriguez, MD^* , Zahi A. Fayad, PhD, John T. Fallon, MD, PhD and Juan J. Badimon, PhD, FACC^*

^* Cardiovascular Biology Research Laboratory, New York, New York, USA
Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, New York, New York, USA
Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

View larger version (154K): [in a new window]   Figure 1 (A) In vivo axial magnetic resonance imaging (proton density-weighted) of a rabbit abdominal aorta. (B) The same section magnified showing a concentric atherosclerotic lesion and bright periadventitial lymphatics (white arrow). Inside the lesion one can differentiate a dark area (black arrow) and a white area (green arrow). (C) The corresponding section stained with Oil Red O showing the lipid area (black arrow) and the nonlipid (fibrous) area (green arrow). These areas correlate with those shown in the corresponding magnetic resonance section (B). (D) Magnification (see scale) of (C) showing the lipid-laden foam cells staining red.

View larger version (60K): [in a new window]   Figure 2 (A) In vivo axial magnetic resonance image (T2) of abdominal aorta at the level of the left renal artery (red arrow). (B) The corresponding histological section illustrating the use of left renal artery (red arrow) as anatomical landmark for matching magnetic resonance imaging and histology.

View larger version (142K): [in a new window]   Figure 3 (A) Differentiation of lipid area (dark arrow) from fibrotic area (green area) of abdominal aorta lesions with in vivo T2-weighted and (B) proton density-weighted images. The greater contrast between fibrotic and lipid components of the atherosclerotic plaque with T2-weighted imaging is evident. (C) The corresponding histological section stained with a combined Masson’s trichrome elastin stain showing both areas. (D) Magnification (see scale) of (C) showing the lipid-laden foam cells and the fibrotic cap.

View larger version (201K): [in a new window]   Figure 4 (A) In vivo axial magnetic resonance image (T2) of thoracic aorta (red arrow). Despite the cardiac and respiratory motion artifacts that affect the heart, the thoracic aorta, which is adherent to the paraspinal structures, is relatively preserved from such artifacts and is well delineated. (B) The same section magnified (see scale) showing the differentiation between lumen (white arrow) and vessel wall (green arrow). (C) In vivo axial magnetic resonance image (T2-weighted of the upper part of the abdominal aorta [red arrow]) adjacent to the diaphragm, potentially susceptible to respiratory motions, is well delineated. (D) The same section magnified (see scale) showing the differentiation between lumen (white arrow) and vessel wall (green arrow).