Magnetic resonance imaging of vessel wall morphology and function

Abstract

This thesis evaluates morphological and functional vessel wall properties measured by magnetic resonance imaging techniques in healthy volunteers and patients with various diseases (i.e. Marfan syndrome patients (MFS), patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm and patients with a previous myocardial infarction.). This thesis shows that imaging of carotid vessel wall morphology can be reproducible assessed by high-field MRI and that carotid vessel wall imaging benefits from imaging at higher field strengths. For a functional imaging parameter, the aorta pulse wave velocity (PWV), improving spatial sampling density resulted in more accurate PWV-assessment, even when temporal resolution decreased. Moreover, a scan-time reduction was achieved. Aortic PWV showed a high specificity for predicting absence of regional aortic luminal growth for all aortic segments in MFS. In patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm, regional PWV showed high specificity in the descending thoracic to abdominal aorta and moderate results in the ascending aorta and aortic arch. Next, PWV-leveling between aorta and carotid artery at older age was associated with a reduction in blood flow volume towards the brain. Furthermore, vessel wall morphology and function were associated in healthy volunteers and in patients with established atherosclerotic disease. Finally, our findings might indicate a link between atherosclerotic large vessel disease and cerebral small vessel disease in patients with established atherosclerotic disease.