Purpose: To investigate whether gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast enhancement (CE) affects high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of carotid arterial wall volume.
Materials and methods: The common carotid artery (CCA), bifurcation, and internal carotid artery (ICA) of 50 consecutive patients were imaged using 1.5T MRI. T1-weighted (T1W) images were obtained before and after Gd administration. Pre- and post-CE measurements were compared among different arterial locations of the CCA, bifurcation, and ICA, and among different atherosclerotic lesion types.
Results: In comparison to pre-CE T1W images, post-CE images showed an increase in the apparent wall volume measurement of 28.2% (108.7 mm3 vs. 84.7 mm3, P < 0.001). The post-CE measurement increases in wall volume for the CCA, bifurcation, and ICA were 26.7%, 29.2%, and 28.0%, respectively.
Conclusion: Gd CE causes a significant increase in the apparent volume of the carotid wall throughout multiple carotid artery locations, which may be associated with improved visibility or neovascularization.
2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.