In vivo and ex vivo vessel wall MRI of the circle of Willis

Abstract

In recent years, several MRI sequences have been developed for direct evaluation of the intracranial vessel wall and its pathology in vivo. These MRI sequences enable detection of intracranial vessel wall abnormalities, including those that have not yet caused luminal narrowing. The research field of intracranial vessel wall MRI has gained a lot of attention in the last few years. This underlines the potential of this imaging technique as an added value to the currently available conventional imaging techniques for the intracranial arteries. Developments have led to valuable intracranial vessel wall image sequences, however, challenges still remain. Research and development of intracranial vessel wall MRI is therefore ongoing, and it is important to further utilize this imaging technique to its full potential in clinical practice. In this thesis, studies were performed to fill certain gaps in this field, continuing on the work previously performed within our research lab dedicated to intracranial vessel wall imaging. The main goal was to perform further histological validation of intracranial vessel wall MRI and to further evaluate its application in patients. Also, based on the findings discussed in this thesis, potential opportunities / directions for future research of intracranial vessel wall MRI were identified.