ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the stability of newly formed blood vessels in the carotid plaque using qualitative and quantitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound images and to investigate its correction with the occurrence of ischemic stroke.Methods:A total of 100 patients with carotid artery plaques diagnosed by routine ultrasound who received treatment between August 2017 and December 2019 in Haiyan People's Hospital, China were included in this study. They were divided into an ischemic stroke group ( n = 60) and a non-ischemic stroke group ( n = 40) according to the occurrence of stroke. Two groups of patients underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination of the carotid artery. The correlation between the stability of the newly formed vessels in the carotid plaque and the occurrence of ischemic stroke was quantitatively analyzed. Results:Contrast-enhanced ultrasound results revealed low or medium intensity of echoes. The proportion of patients exhibiting grade 3-4 intensity of echoes in the ischemic stroke group was significantly higher than that in the non-ischemic stroke group ( P < 0.05). Time to peak in the ischemic stroke group was significantly shorter than that in the non-ischemic stroke group [(25.46 ± 3.25) seconds vs. (32.77 ± 4.28) seconds, t = 3.783, P = 0.000]. In the ischemic stroke group, peak intensity [(59.62 ± 10.18) dB vs. (47.53 ± 14.36) dB, t = 3.263, P = 0.000] and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [(2 365.37 ± 346.03) cm 2vs. (1 695.42 ± 525.44) cm 2, t = 4.981, P = 0.000] were significantly higher than those in the non-ischemic stroke group (both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Contrast-enhanced ultrasound visual scoring combined with quantitative ultrasonography technology can be used to assess the stability and possible development process of carotid plaques, which provide practical and reliable evidence for selecting a rational opportunity for clinical treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease and developing a reasonable treatment plan.