Insight into Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque Development with CT Angiography

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Atherosclerotic disease of the carotid arteries is an important cause of ischemic stroke.
The general aim of this thesis is to contribute to the knowledge on the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis by means of imaging of the atherosclerotic carotid plaque in vivo.

This thesis focusses on:

• Quantification of imaging biomarkers of carotid atherosclerotic disease with CT angiography;
• The investigation on the role of carotid plaque surface (i.e. ulceration) as an imaging biomarker of plaque instability;
• The study of plaque development and its determinants using serial CTA imaging.