Predictive Value of Plaque Enhancement Ratio for Stroke Occurrence on 5.0T HR-VWI

Motivation: High-resolution vessel wall imaging offers a non-invasive approach to assess intracranial and extracranial atherosclerotic plaque enhancement, potentially predicting stroke risk. Goal(s): We hypothesize that 5.0T MRI provides superior visualization of atherosclerotic plaque and can reliably predict stroke occurrence. Approach: This study examined the plaque-to-pituitary stalk contrast ratio (CR) in 43 patients, the CR was calculated, and stroke occurrence was recorded. Patients were divided into a stroke group and a non-stroke group based on stroke incidence. Results: This study found a significant correlation between higher CR values and stroke occurrence. With an AUC of 0.787, CR demonstrates promising predictive accuracy for stroke. Impact: This finding provides valuable insights for early identification and risk assessment of high-risk stroke patients, supporting more timely and targeted preventive measures to reduce stroke incidence. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm and refine these findings.