Study on the correlation between the enhance patterns of carotid plaque and cerebral infarction by contrast-enhance ultrasound / 中国医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the characteristics and the enhanced patterns of carotid plaque using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and patients with cerebral infarction.Methods The patients with carotid plaque were divided into two groups according to whether they had cerebral infarction54 patients (62 plaques with CEUS) with cerebral infarction were included in group A,and 48 patients (54 plaques with CEUS) without cerebral infarction were included in group B.The plaques were divided into four grades according to the degree of plaque enhancement.According to the source of intraplaque contrast agents,plaque enhancement patterns were divided into adventitia enhancement,lumen enhancement and mixed enhancement.To analyze the degree and pattern of carotid plaque enhancement in the two groups.Results Carotid plaque enhancement in cerebral infarction group was mainly grade 3 (26/62) and grade 4 (22/62),while that in non-cerebral infarction group was mainly grade 2 (20/54) and grade 3 (20/54).There was significant difference between the two groups in the proportion of carotid plaque enhancement of grade 2 (P =0.019) and grade 4 (P =0.041).The proportion of plaque adventitia enhancement model in group A(27/59) was lower than that in group B (37/50),with statistically significant difference (P =0.003).While the proportion of mixed enhancement mode in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (P =0.003).Conclusions The enhancement of carotid plaque was obvious in cerebral infarction patients,and the mixed enhancement pattern was more common.It suggested that the communication between vascular cavity and plaque might be an important factor leading to cerebral infarction.