Vulnerability of Atherosclerotic Plaque Through Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography

Yu Ding; Lei Feng; Haizhong Zhang; Yan Sun; Cuiyun Lin; Jianhong Han

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Vulnerability of Atherosclerotic Plaque Through Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography

VernacularTitle:超声造影观察颈动脉斑块易损性的研究
Author: Yu DING ; Lei FENG ; Haizhong ZHANG ; Yan SUN ; Cuiyun LIN ; Jianhong HAN
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Carotid artery diseases; Atherosclerosis; Neovascularization,pathologic; Ultrasonography,Doppler,color; Ultrasound contrast
From: Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging 2015;(4):298-301
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Purpose To investigate the feasibility to diagnose and evaluate the vulnerability of the atherosclerotic plaque through contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. Materials and Methods Thirty-four patients with carotid atherosclerosis were enrolled in the study to take contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and were observed on whether the plaque was enhanced and the features of its enhancement. The peak intensity (PI), time to peak (TTP), and density echo (DE) were calculated according to the time-intensity curve with QLAB software. Results The ratio of enhanced malacoplakia and the mixed plaque showed no difference (χ2=0.847, P>0.05). The percentages of enhanced plaque distributed on the base, tail and the shoulder were 70.0%, 23.3% and 6.7%, respectively with significant difference (χ2=29.100, P<0.001); the distribution ratio of enhanced plaque from high to low were as follows: the plaque on the shoulder > the plaque on the base> the plaque on the tail. It was positively correlated between enhanced plaque and its distribution (r=0.404, P<0.01). The TTP of the ROI between the malacoplakias and the mixed plaques showed no difference (t=0.479, P>0.05). The PI and DE of the ROI in the malacoplakia and the mixed plaques were analyzed by the time-intensity curve and the differences proved to be statistically significant (t=7.497 and 12.224, P<0.05). Conclusion Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography could present the neovessels in the atherosclerotic plaque, which is helpful in evaluating the vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaque.