Intracranial-Derived Atherosclerosis Assessment: An In Vitro Comparison between Virtual Histology by Intravascular Ultrasonography, 7T MRI, and Histopathologic Findings

Abstract

This in vitro study demonstrated that virtual histology-intravascular ultrasonography and high-resolution MR imaging are reliable imaging tools to detect atherosclerotic plaques within the intracranial arterial wall, though both imaging modalities have some limitations in accurate characterization of the plaque components. Further clinical studies are needed to determine the clinical utility of plaque morphology and composition assessment by noninvasive tests.