In Vivo Carotid Plaque Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Quantitative T2* Measurments with USPIO Particles: A Dose-Response Study to Statin Therapy

Andrew James Patterson¹, Tjun Y. Tang¹, Martin J. Graves¹, Simon P. S. Howarth¹, Jonathan H. Gillard¹

Previous studies have reported Ultra-Small Super-Paramagnetic Iron Oxide (USPIO) detected inflammation in carotid atherosclerotic disease using a semi-quantitative analysis technique that involves measuring changes in signal intensity relative to adjacent muscle tissue. In this study an alternative method to detect and quantify changes over-time is presented. The methodology involved making direct quantitative T₂* measurements within the atherosclerotic plaque pre- and post- infusion. In a double blinded randomised control trail this study measured a significant difference (p<0.001) with respect to time in USPIO-detected inflammation between patients receiving low-dose and high-dose statin therapy.