Department of Neuroradiology, Mayo Clinic, 723 6th St. SW, 55902, Rochester, MN, USA.
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Clin Neuroradiol. 2021 Jun;31(2):295-306. doi: 10.1007/s00062-020-00987-y. Epub 2021 Jan 4.
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is considered the gold standard for non-invasive evaluation of carotid artery plaque morphology and composition. A number of studies have demonstrated the clinical utility of MR plaque imaging in the risk stratification of carotid atherosclerotic disease, determination of stroke etiology, and identification of surgical and endovascular candidates for carotid revascularization procedures. The MR plaque imaging also provides researchers and clinicians with valuable insights into the pathogenesis, natural history and composition of carotid atherosclerotic disease. Nevertheless, the field of MR plaque imaging is complex, and requires a thorough knowledge of the histologic basis for how various plaque features appear on imaging. This article details the pathogenesis and histology of atherosclerosis, reviews the expected appearance of different plaque components, and describes how MR imaging features may be related to symptomatology or predict future ischemic events.
磁共振（MR）成像是评估颈动脉斑块形态和成分的非侵入性的金标准。许多研究已经证明了 MR 斑块成像在颈动脉粥样硬化疾病的风险分层、确定中风病因以及识别颈动脉血运重建手术和血管内候选者方面的临床应用。MR 斑块成像还为研究人员和临床医生提供了有关颈动脉粥样硬化疾病的发病机制、自然史和成分的宝贵见解。然而，MR 斑块成像领域非常复杂，需要深入了解不同斑块特征在影像学上出现的组织学基础。本文详细介绍了动脉粥样硬化的发病机制和组织学，回顾了不同斑块成分的预期表现，并描述了 MR 成像特征如何与症状相关或预测未来的缺血事件。
