This Article Abstract Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Corti, R. Articles by Badimon, J. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Corti, R. Articles by Badimon, J. J.

In vivo noninvasive detection and age definition of arterial thrombus by MRI

Roberto Corti, MD^*, Julio I. Osende, MD^*, Zahi A. Fayad, PhD, John T. Fallon, MD, PhD, FACC, Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, FACC, Gabor Mizsei, MS, Elisha Dickstein, BA,^*, Burton Drayer, MD and Juan J. Badimon, PhD, FACC^*,*

^* Cardiovascular Biology Research Laboratory, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA

View larger version (71K): [in a new window]   Figure 1 Representative T2-weighted (T2W) and T1-weighted (T1W) axial magnetic resonance images of the thrombus and adjacent muscle (used as reference) at different time points after thrombus induction were selected to create a reference table for visual comparison. This figure was used as reference for signal intensity analysis by the two independent observers.

View larger version (76K): [in a new window]   Figure 2 Axial black-blood T2-weighted magnetic resonance image showing a 24-h old mural, eccentrically shaped thrombus (A), magnified 2.5x in B. The arrows indicate the thrombus in the injured right carotid artery, and the asterisk indicates the noninjured left carotid artery. The signal from the flowing blood in the lumen is black due to the double-inversion preparatory pulses. The corresponding histologic section is shown in C. The appearance of the thrombus on the magnetic resonance image correlates closely with the matched histologic section shown in C.

View larger version (99K): [in a new window]   Figure 3 The thrombus revealed characteristic time-dependent changes in its appearance in T2-weighted (T2W) and T1-weighted (T1W) images in the sequential magnetic resonance (MR) scans reflecting the course of the signal intensity. Axial black-blood T2W (A, C, E) and T1W (B, D, F) MR images demonstrating the changes of the MR signal intensity of the thrombus over time. The difference in the MR signal between the thrombotic artery (arrow) and the adjacent muscle is particularly evident during the first three weeks. Bar scale = 1 cm.

View larger version (18K): [in a new window]   Figure 4 Thrombus signal intensity changes over time for both T1-weighted (white circles) and T2-weighted (black circles) images.

View larger version (149K): [in a new window]   Figure 5 Time-dependent changes of thrombus composition as assessed by light microscopy (combined mason elastin stains). Sections of the thrombotic arteries (20x) and details of the composition (200x) are displayed at different time points: fresh thrombus (6 h) (A), one-week-old thrombus (B), three-week-old thrombus (C) and six-week-old thrombus (D).