High-resolution PET/MR hybrid imaging of carotid plaque with a serial PET/MR hybrid scanner

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09893
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE YUJI 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (90158668)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 馬場 眞吾 九州大学, 大学病院, 講師 (80380450) ; 栂尾 理 九州大学, 大学病院, 助教 (10452749) ; 樋渡 昭雄 九州大学, 大学病院, 助教 (30444855) ; 磯田 拓郎 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (90452747) ; 本田 浩 九州大学, 大学病院, 教授 (90145433) ; 亀井 僚太郎 九州大学, 医学研究院, 共同研究員 (70772044) ; 鷺山 幸二 九州大学, 大学病院, 助教 (20755243)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: FDG-PET / MR診断 / 頚動脈 / 動脈硬化プラーク / 壁拍動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The assessment of vulnerability of carotid plaque is very important to determine treatment plan for preventing future cardiovascular events. The key factors are inflammatory activity within the plaque as well as the condition of the fibrous cap and plaque components. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can provide information of carotid wall morphology and plaque composition. FDG-PET imaging can allow for the detection of inflammatory activity of atherosclerotic plaque. Recent advances in PET/MR hybrid imaging have permitted simultaneous acquisition of metabolic and anatomic information, which could increase accuracy of risk assessment of carotid plaque. We tried to obtain high-resolution PET-images and also to analyze carotid wall strain by using cine MR imaging. However, the 2mm3-voxel was not able to differentiate carotid wall from the lumen, and the pulsatile movement of carotid wall was not so large that wall strain could be measured by using the voxel-wise tracking software.

Free Research Field

放射線医学　画像診断