RSNA 2015: Arterial imaging with 3D MRI may help determine stroke risk in diabetics

A study presented at RSNA 2015 found that the use of 3D MRI may help uncover intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), an indicator of advanced atherosclerotic disease in patients with diabetes. Study author Tishan Maraj, MBBS, imaging analyst at Sunnybrook Research Institute and M.Sc. candidate at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, reported that 23.3% of 159 diabetic patients imaged in the study had IPH in at least one carotid artery, with five having IPH in both carotid arteries. IPH was found in the absence of carotid artery stenosis, or a narrowing of the artery, and was also associated with an increased carotid artery wall volume as measured by 3-D MRI. “A recent analysis of multiple studies has shown that people with carotid artery narrowing and IPH have a five- to six-times higher risk of stroke in the near future compared to people without,” he said, further suggesting that IPH may be an early indicator of stroke risk in patients that should be followed up.

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