The value of late-phase enhancement of carotid artery plaques in patients with cerebral infarction by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo evaluate the late-phase enhancement of carotid artery in patients with cerebral infarction by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.MethodsSixty-eight patients whose bilateral carotid artery plaques were both wider than 1.5 mm with treatment in Zhejiang Provincial People?s Hospital from April to July in 2013 were enrolled in this study. Among the enrolled patients, there are 50 patients with cerebral infarction including 30 patients with unilateral cerebral infarction and 20 patients with bilateral cerebral infarction, and 18 patients without cerebral infarction. The enrolled patients underwent conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. The time-intension curve was obtained till 6 minutes after the injection of contrast agent. The late-phase enhancement intensity and relative intensity of maximal carotid plaque was measured and calculated. The differences of late-phase enhancement intensity and relative intensity between patients with cerebral infarction and patients without cerebral infarction, and between ipsilateral and contralateral side of cerebral infarction in patients with cerebral infarction were compared using two samplet test.ResultsThe late-phase enhancement intensity of carotid plaque in patients with cerebral infarction and in patients without cerebral infarction was (6.0±1.5) and (4.9±1.2) dB, respectively, and the relative late-phase enhancement intensity of carotid plaque was 0.9±0.2 and 0.8±0.2, respectively. The late-phase enhancement intensity and the relative intensity of carotid plaque was higher in patients with cerebral infarction compared with patients without cerebral infarction, and the differences had statistical significance (value oft was 2.132 and 2.258 respectively, value ofP were both less than 0.05). The late-phase enhancement intensity of carotid plaque in ipsilateral and contralateral side of cerebral infarction was (7.1±1.8) and (4.9±1.2) dB, respectively, and the relative late-phase enhancement intensity of carotid plaque was 1.2±0.3 and 0.8±0.2, respectively. The late-phase enhancement intensity and the relative intensity of carotid plaque was higher in ipsilateral side of cerebral infarction compared with contralateral side of cerebral infarction in patients with cerebral infarction, and the differences had statistical signiifcance (value oft was 3.132 and 2.953 respectively, value ofP were both less than 0.01).ConclusionThe late-phase enhancement of carotid plaque in patients with cerebral infarction is significantly different from that in patients without cerebral infarction.