Plaque vulnerability in stroke patients: a multimodality imaging approach

In the Netherlands, 126 people suffer from a stroke every day. One of the causes of stroke is atherosclerosis, or plaque build-up, in the carotid arteries. Depending on the severity of the condition, the plaque can be surgically removed to prevent a recurrent stroke.

This study aimed to contribute to improved patient selection for surgical interventions by examining the composition of the plaque using imaging techniques such as MRI, CT and PET-CT scans. The study found that these images could be reliably interpreted by different assessors and that the composition of the plaque did not change over the course of a year. Further research is needed to determine which technique has the highest predictive value for determining a recurrent ischemic stroke.