Table 2. Relation between carotid plaque MRI parameters and cerebrovascular symptoms.

Plaque component	Association with cerebrovascular symptoms	Predictive value for cerebrovascular events
IPH	60% symptomatic vs. 36% asymptomatic (102); 37.5% vs. 0% (103,104); (HR: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.05–11.87; P=0.040) (105)	5–6-fold higher risk for cerebrovascular events (HR: 5.69; 95% CI: 2.98–10.87) (74); (HR: 4.59, 95% CI: 2.92–7.24) (46). IPH at baseline predicts ipsilateral stroke in symptomatic (HR: 10.2, 95% CI: 4.6–22.5) and asymptomatic patients (HR: 7.9, 95% CI: 1.3–47.6) (6)
LRNC	(HR: 3.2001; 95% CI: 1.078–9.504; P=0.036) (105)	(HR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.51–5.95) (46); presence of LRNC predicts cardiovascular events (hazard ratio of one standard deviation increase in percent lipid core volume: (HR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.22–2.01) (106)
TRFC	Patients with ruptured fibrous caps were 23 times more likely to have had recent ischemic neurological symptoms (95% CI: 3–210) (107); (HR: 5.756; 95% CI: 1.9–17.3; P=0.002) (105)	The hazard ratio for TRFC as predictor of stroke/TIA (HR: 5.93, 95% CI: 2.65–13.29) (46). The hazard ratio for TRFC as predictor of cardiovascular events (HR: 4.31; 95% CI: 1.67–11.1) (106)
Calcifications	Calcified plaques were found to be 21 times less likely to be symptomatic than non-calcified plaques (108)
Ulceration	86% Symptomatic vs. 36% asymptomatic; P=0.039 (109-113)

MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; IPH, intraplaque hemorrhage; LRNC, lipid-rich necrotic core; TRFC, thin or ruptured fibrous cap.