Evaluation of the correlation between neovascularization and clinical symptoms in carotid atherosclerotic plaque by superb micro-vascular imaging technique / 新乡医学院学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the value of superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI) in evaluating the relationship between neovascularization in carotid atherosclerotic plaque and clinical symptoms.Methods A total of 146 patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaque which were found by ultrasonography were selected from March 2015 to February 2017 in the Central Hospital of Jiading District of Shanghai.The patients were divided into clinical symptom group(n =96) and symptomless group (n =50) according to cerebrovascular events.The neovessels of carotid atherosclerotic plaque was observed and classified by SMI and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).The relationship between the degree of neovascularization and clinical symptoms was analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis.SMI and GEUS were compared by consistency analysis,and the sensitivity and specificity of the two methods were analyzed.Results The average thickness of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in clinical symptoms group and symptomless group was (3.09 ± 0.79) and (2.89 ± 0.49) mm respectively,there was no significant difference between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).There were 80 (83.33％) patients with neovascularization in carotid atherosclerotic plaque in the clinical symptoms group,and there were 20 (40.00％) patients with neovascularization in carotid atherosclerotic plaque in the symptomless group,the proportion of patients with neovascularization in carotid atherosclerotic plaque in the clinical symptoms group was significantly higher than that in the symptomless group (Z =-6.488,P ＜0.05).The SMI classification was in good agreement with the CEUS classification in the two groups (P ＜ 0.05).SMI showed the blood flow signal within carotid plaque in 100 cases,including 80 cases in the clinical symptoms group and 20 cases in the symptomless group.SMI showed no blood flow signal within the carotid plaques in 46 cases,including 16 cases in the clinical symptoms group and 30 cases in the symptomless group.GEUS showed the blood flow signal within carotid plaque in 109 cases,including 81 cases in the clinical symptoms group and 28 cases in the symptomless group.GEUS showed no blood flow signal within the carotid plaques in 37 cases,including 15 cases in the clinical symptoms group and 22 cases in the symptomless group.The sensitivity and specificity of SMI predicting the occurrence of clinical symptoms was 83.3％ and 40.00％ respectively.The sensitivity and specificity of GEUS predicting the occurrence of clinical symptoms was 84.4％ and 56.00％ respectively.Conclusions SMI can easily detect neovessels in carotid atherosclerotic plaques,and the degree of neovascularization is related to the occurrence of clinical symptoms.SMI technique plays an important role in evaluating the neovascularization in carotid plaques.