Table 6

Sensitivity and specificity of ex vivo coronary artery MRI at spin echo (TE = 50 ms) and T2 image (panel on right). Different artery atheroma features are represented with reference to coronary artery image for distinct tissue components and corresponding T2 parametric image (A) of coronary endarterectomy specimen and right postsegmented image (B) showing different signal intensities (CV %) and their relative appearance on gray scale with varying T2 ranges for different atheroma components.

Atheroma features
Signal intensity (CV %)
Sensitivity (%)
Specificity (%)
T2-wt (TE = 50 ms)

Calcium
Dark
100
100
Dark
Collagen
14.5(18 %)
95
85
Bright
Lipids
23.0(7.5 %)
90
75
Dark
Lipid core
27.5(7.5%)
100
100
Gray
Fibrous
35.5 (7 %)
85
90
Bright
Elastin
40.7 (13.5 %)
70
80
Gray


Sharma and Singh Thrombosis Journal 2004 2:5   doi:10.1186/1477-9560-2-5