Figure 2.

(a) Pre and (b) post-contrast T1 delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) sequences demonstrate enhancing plaque (arrowheads) at the distal basilar artery of a Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit, which was rated as severe. (c) T2 variable flip angle turbo spin echo (SPACE) images of an adjacent slice through the brainstem demonstrates an associated left middle cerebellar peduncle infarct (white arrow). (d) Normal and (e) abnormal segments of the basilar artery are noted by arrowheads on three-dimensional time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), with the abnormal segment corresponding to that demonstrated on T1 DANTE images. (f) Photomicrograph of the equivalent segment of the distal basilar artery stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and magnified 50× demonstrates asymmetrical hypertrophic neointima (NI) formation. Composed of smooth muscle cells, extracellular matrix with lipid deposition (*) and smooth muscle hypertrophy, findings are consistent with atherosclerotic plaque formation that was rated advanced.