Hetterich, H., Willner, M., Fill, S., Herzen, J., Bamberg, F., Hipp, A., Schüller, U., Adam-Neumair, S., Wirth, S., Reiser, M., Pfeiffer, F. and Saam, T. Radiology 271(3), pp. 870–878 (2014). [http://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.14131554]

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of phase-contrast computed tomography (CT) for atherosclerotic plaque imaging in human carotid arteries in an experimental ex vivo study.

Figure: Complicated atherosclerotic plaque in the common carotid artery. A, Grating-based phase-contrast CT image. B, Absorption-based CT image. C, D, Histopathologic sections of
 a complicated atherosclerotic lesion in a common carotid artery stained with Movat pentachrome (C) and hematoxylin-eosin (D). Different plaque components are clearly visualized by using grating-based phase-contrast CT.