300 International Journal of Stroke 19(3) Figure 6. Plaque characteristics of intracranial atherosclerotic lesions on histology-verified VW-MRI. (a) An intracranial plaque characterized by a thick fibrous cap, seen as a hyperintense band on T2w (green). (b) An intracranial plaque featured by a large lipid core content, seen as hypo- to isointense T2 signal (red, yellow outline), covered by a thin fibrous cap seen as hypointense band on T2w (green). (c) An intracranial plaque with intraplaque hemorrhage, hyperintense on fat-suppressed T1w (red). (d) An intracranial plaque containing calcifications, seen as hypointense signals on T1w and T2w (red). T1w: T1-weighted imaging; T2w: T2-weighted imaging. Table 1. Reclassification potential of MRI techniques among ESUS and CS patients. Study Liberman et al.44 Baher et al.42 Haeusler et al.14 Takasugi et al.43 Harloff et al.38 Kamel et al.24 Schaafsma et al.28 Kesav et al.45 106 103 797 74 579 205 49 68.80 27.10 79.6 22 39.20 34 16.1 38.8 TEE TTE TEE TTE TEE Number of patients ESUS or CS patients (%) Compared with 93 Reclassified patients (%) 5/64 (7.80) 9/23 (39.10) 5/82 (6.10) 4/14 (29) 8/26 (30.80) Conventional imaging workup Conventional imaging workup Endoluminal vessel imaging (CTA, MRA, and/or DSA) 41/197 (20.80) 16/33 (48) 9/19 (47.3) MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; ESUS: embolic stroke of undetermined source; CS: cryptogenic stroke; TEE: transesophageal echocardiography; TTE: transthoracic echocardiography; CTA: computed tomography angiography; MRA: magnetic resonance angiography; DSA: digital subtraction angiography. International Journal of Stroke, 19(3)