ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the features of carotid atherosclerotic plaques on ultrasonographic elastography. Methods A total of 45 atherosclerotie plaques of the carotid artery in 33 patients were found with routine ultrasonography, all the 45 atherosclerotic plaques were divided into soft plaque, fibrous plaque, mixed plaque and calcified plaque. The elastograms of the plaques were oberseved and the strain contrast(stiffness ratio) of blood tissue in common carotid artery to plaques were calculated. Results Seventeen soft plaques, 15 mixed plaques and 13 calcified plaques were founded using routine ultrasonography, but 0 fibrous plaques were founded. The soft plaques were shown in green, the mixed plaques were showen as mosaic of green and blue and the calcified plaques were showen in blue by ultrasonographic elastography. The strain contrast in patients with calcified plaques and mixed plaques were significantly higher when compared with the soft plaques group(P 0. 001, P <0.05). The strain contrast in patients with calcified plaques was significantly higher than the mixed plaques group (P < 0.001). Conclusions Ultrasonographie elastography could be used in carotid arteries atherosclerotic plaques. Various of acoustic characteristics plaques has different elastography and strain contrast.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the dyssynchrony of left ventricle in patients with coronary artery disease(CAD) by two-dimensional strain echocardiography (2-DS). Methods The myocardium of left ventricle of 33 patients with CAD and 30 nomal controls were detected by 2-DS. The time from onset QRS complexes to peak systolic longitudinal strain(Ts) and the standard deviation of Ts of 18 left ventricular segments (Ts-SD)were measured. Results There were 168 segments whose flow was provided by coronary artery with stenosis≤75% ,210 segments whose flow was provided by coronary artery with stenosis 75 %. ①Ts was delayed significantly and Ts-SD was obviously higher in patients with stenosis≥75% when compared with the control group. ②Ts was delayed and Ts-SD was higher in patients with stenosis≥75% compared with those whose stenosis was ≤75%. ③There were no statistical differences in Ts and Ts-SD between the patients with stenosis ≤75% and the control group. ④When left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony was defined as Ts-SD≥33.0 ms, there were 22 patients with systolic dyssynchrony of all 26 patients whose coronary artery stenosis≥75%, there were no patient with systolic dyssynchrony of all 7 patients whose stenosis ≤75%. Conclusions Although there are no evident regional wall motion abnormalities by routine echocardiography,in patients with severe coronary artery stenosis,2-DS can detect exactly the dyssynchrony of left ventricle.
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Objective To assess the myocardial strain in patients with coronary artery disease by two dimensional strain echocardiography.Methods Forty-three patients with coronary artery disease and thirty five healthy subjects were included.High frame rate two-dimensional images were recorded from the left ventricular short-axis views at the levels of mitral annulus,papillary muscle and apex,and the apical four chamber view,two-chamber view and long-axis view of the left ventricle respectively.The longitudinal strain was measured in the apical views,radial strain and circumferential strain were measured in the left ventricular short-axis views using two-dimensional strain software.Results There were 96 segments whose flow was provided by coronary artery with stenosis＜75%,147 segments whose flow was provided by coronary artery with stenosis≥75%.The peak systolic longitudinal strain of different segments in patients with stenosis≥75% significantly reduced when compared with the control group(P＜0.05).The peak systolic radial strain and circumferential strain of different segments in patients with stenosis≥75% had no statistical difference compared with the control group(P＞0.05).When taking peak systolic longitudinal strain≥-16.1% as cut-off value for coronary artery stenosis of≥75%,the sensitivity and specificity were 78.7% and 76.4% respectively.There was no significant difference in systolic longitudinal strain,radial strain and circumferential strain between normal myocardium and stenosis＜75%(P＞0.05).Conclusions Although there are no evident regional wall motion abnormalities by two dimensional echocardiography,in patients with severe coronary artery stenosis,the longitudinal strain which can reflect the subendocardial myocardial function significantly reduced.