OBJECTIVETo summarize the value and limitations of magnetic resonance (MR) plaque imaging for intracranial arteries.

METHODThe data of MR plaque imaging of intracranial arteries in 422 patients performed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 2006 to September 2010 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe success rate for MR plaque imaging of intracranial arteries was 97%. MR plaque imaging clearly displayed the wall structure of the arteries trunk (M1 segment of middle cerebral arteries, M2-3 segment of anterior cerebral arteries, and basilar arteries). Good inter-observer (k=0.91, 95% CI=0.80-1.03) and intra-observer reproducibility (k=0.96,95% CI=0.88-1.03) was observed in the evaluation of middle cerebral arteries' atherosclerosis. The wall features had significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic intracranial arteries'stenosis; compared with asymptomatic middle cerebral artery stenosis(35 cases), symptomatic middle cerebral artery stenosis(26 cases) had a significantly larger wall area (P=0.000), greater remodeling ratio (P=0.000), higher prevalence of expansive remodeling (outward expansion of the vessel wall) (P=0.003), and lower prevalence of constrictive remodeling (P=0.008). Arteritis of middle cerebral artery (3 cases) showed circular wall-thickening with apparent gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid-biotin enhancement.

CONCLUSIONThe MR plaque imaging is helpful in the evaluation of intracranial arteries stenosis, although it still has the limitations such as short scan range and low resolution.