Vulnerability of Atherosclerotic Plaque Through Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography / 中国医学影像学杂志

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 the plaque on the base> the plaque on the tail. It was positively correlated between enhanced plaque and its distribution (r=0.404, P0.05). 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.