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Figure 2 T2*-Weighted Imaging and Intraplaque T2* Measurement

Serial T2*-weighted dark blood images at various echo times (A, echo time [TE] 2.7 ms; B, TE 7.6 ms; C, TE 12.5 ms; D, TE 17.4 ms) obtained at the location of maximum stenosis allow drawing of a region of interest (D) on all the images encompassing the plaque for measurement of mean T2* within the plaque. See the text for T2* imaging scan parameters. (E) T2* is measured in a given plaque by fitting the measured signal intensities at each TE to an exponential decay curve e^–TE/T2*. ECA = external carotid artery; ICA = internal carotid artery; J = internal jugular vein; VA = vertebral artery.