Stephanie Elaine Gar-Wai Chiu1, James Q. Zhan2, Alan R. Moody, 12
1Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 2Medical Imaging, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) may be an important marker of complicated atheroma. IPH was simulated by microinfusion catheter delivery of autologous red blood cells (RBCs) into advanced rabbit abdominal aorta plaques. Histology at 9 weeks after simulated IPH indicated the development of plaque features not previously seen in rabbits undergoing similar atherosclerosis induction without RBC injection. These plaque features include necrotic cores, extravasated RBCs, and iron deposits. T1-weighted MR imaging was able to show varying vessel wall thickness and post-contrast vessel wall enhancement indicative of the large plaque sizes and extensive inflammation and neovascularization.