Visualization of Atherosclerotic Plaques Paired with Joheksol 350 (Omnipaque)

<b>Background:</b> Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death around the globe. Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory blood vessel disease that takes years to develop, is its primary cause. Instability and further plaque buildup are caused by chronic inflammation, which creates the conditions for possible rupture. The visualization of arterial lesions in situ can enhance understanding of atherosclerosis progression and potentially improve experimental therapies. Conventional histology methods for assessing atherosclerotic lesions are robust but are destructive and may prevent further tissue analysis. <b>Objectives:</b> The objective of the current study was to evaluate a novel, nondestructive method for the visualization and characterization of atherosclerotic lesions. <b>Methods and Results:</b> Thus, we tested the hypothesis that MRI paired with an iodine-based radiopaque stain would effectively characterize atherosclerotic plaques in a manner comparable to routine histology while maintaining sample integrity and providing whole-volume data.