Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the carotid artery

Carotid artery magnetic resonance images (3.0 Tesla) of different stages of atherosclerosis and different atherosclerotic plaque phenotypes. The left column shows the original images, and the right shows the analyzed images.
(A) Carotid artery of a young healthy subject without atherosclerosis.
(B) Early stage of atherosclerosis in an older healthy subject, with thickening of the vessel wall.
(C) Calcified plaque.
(D) Fibrous plaque.
(E) Plaque with a lipid rich necrotic core.