Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) has become a primary tool for non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular anatomy, pathology and function. Existing contrast agents have been utilised for the identification of infarction, fibrosis, perfusion deficits and for angiography. Novel ultrasmall superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (USPIO) contrast agents that are taken up by inflammatory cells can detect cellular inflammation non-invasively using CMR, potentially aiding the diagnosis of inflammatory medical conditions, guiding their treatment and giving insight into their pathophysiology. In this review we describe the utilization of USPIO as a novel contrast agent in vascular disease.
Publication information
Shirjel Alam; Colin Stirrat; Jennifer Richards; Saeed Mirsadraee; Scott Semple; George Tse; Peter Henriksen; David Newby. Vascular and Plaque Imaging with Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Particles of Iron Oxide. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson. 2015 Sep 18;17(1):83.