MRI and PET imaging to assess cardiovascular diseases

Euro-BioImaging is organizing an online User Forum on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 14:00-17:00 CET. The topic is “Cardiovascular research.” This event will highlight the importance of cutting-edge imaging technologies in support of cardiovascular health, disease, diagnostics and the development of therapies. We will showcase the specific expertise available at our Nodes across Europe through case studies presented in tandem with the research community.

At this event, Eline Kooi, Maastricht University Medical Center, some emerging MRI and hybrid PET/MR applications in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Hear this talk and others like it on March 21 at the Euro-BioImaging User Forum: Cardiovascular Research.

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Abstract

This presentation will highlight some emerging MRI and hybrid PET/MR applications in patients with cardiovascular disease. First, imaging of atherosclerosis will be discussed. Rupture of a vulnerable plaque is the main underlying cause of stroke and myocardial infarction. Carotid MRI and PET/MRI allows quantitative assessment of the hallmarks of plaque vulnerability. Multisequence MRI enables visualisation of intraplaque haemorrhage, the lipid-rich necrotic core and calcifications. Plaque microvasculature can be studied with DCE-MRI, while PET enables quantification of inflammation and microcalcifications. Intraplaque haemorrhage on carotid MRI is a strong and independent predictor of stroke. Including intraplaque haemorrhage to a clinical risk prediction model, strongly improves the model performance. The second part of the presentation illustrates a few applications of cardiac MRI. Dark-blood late gadolinium cardiac MRI improves detection of subendocardial scar. Quantitative cardiac imaging, including T1 and ECV mapping, strain mapping, perfusion imaging, has the potential to identify early stages of disease.