Detection of significant extracranial carotid stenosis on routine cerebral MR imaging

The authors have demonstrated alterations in the carotid artery magnetic resonance signal at the base of the brain in nine patients, three of whom had carotid stenosis. The patients with carotid stenosis showed a partial flow void in which there was a central area of signal void in the artery surrounded by a circumferential increase in signal in the outer third of the artery. This could be seen on axial views at right angles to the artery, as well as in plane views through the long axis. An animal model of graded carotid stenosis and occlusion was imaged: the 90% stenosis and the complete occlusion model showed changes similar to those in humans; the 70% stenosis model showed no change