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(Stroke. 2006;37:2162.)
© 2006 American Heart Association, Inc.

Research Reports

An Integrated Automated Analysis Method for Quantifying Vessel Stenosis and Plaque Burden From Carotid MRI Images

Combined Postprocessing of MRA and Vessel Wall MR

Isabel M. Adame, MSc; Patrick J.H. de Koning, MSc; Boudewijn P.F. Lelieveldt, PhD; Bruce A. Wasserman, MD; Johan H.C. Reiber, PhD Rob J. van der Geest, MSc

From the Division of Image Processing (I.M.A., P.J.H.d.K., B.P.F.L., J.H.C.R., R.J.v.d.G), Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands, and the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences (B.A.W.), Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md.

Correspondence to Isabel Maria Adame, Division of Image Processing (LKEB), Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. E-mail I.M.Adame{at}lumc.nl

Background and Purpose— We report the evaluation of a semiautomated method for in vivo assessment of the severity of carotid atherosclerosis with minimal user interaction that combines 3-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) and vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods— Lumen and outer-wall contours were automatically detected, and stenosis and plaque burden were estimated. The method was tested on 22 subjects (352 postcontrast, T1-weighted cross sections and 3-dimensional CE-MRA).

Results— We observed good correlation with expert contours: lumen and outer-wall area (r=0.96) and the degree of stenosis (r=0.97).

Conclusions— The fusion of MRA and MRI reduces user interaction and improves contour detection, providing reproducible parameters to assess the severity of atherosclerosis.

Key Words: atherosclerosis • carotid artery • magnetic resonance angiography • magnetic resonance imaging