Application of Ultrasound Vector Flow Imaging in Diabetes Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis / 中国医学影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose This study aims to observe the hemodynamic state of the carotid artery in healthy volunteers and diabetes patients via ultrasound vector flow imaging(V-Flow),and to quantitatively analyze the characterization of wall shear stress(WSS)in different degrees of atherosclerosis carotid artery.Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional study.Forty four diabetic patients diagnosed in Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from April 2019 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Routine carotid ultrasound examination and V-Flow imaging were performed on 44 diabetic patients(88 vessels)and 15 controls(30 vessels).According to the results of carotid ultrasound examination,diabetic patients were divided into normal intima-media thickness(IMT)group,IMT thickening group and plaque group.The differences of WSS in different parts of carotid artery between diabetic patients and controls were observed,and the changes of WSS in different groups of diabetic patients were further compared and analyzed.Results In this study,the WSS(including WSSmax and WSSmean)of the bifurcation and middle segment of the common carotid artery in diabetic patients were significantly lower than those in the normal control group(P=0.001,P=0.003).WSS at the bifurcation of common carotid artery was significantly smaller than that at the middle segment of common carotid artery in both normal control group and diabetic group(P=0.001).WSS at the bifurcation of common carotid artery in diabetic patients was changed with the severity of atherosclerosis(P=0.018 and P=0.043),and was highest in the plaque group[WSSmax(2.58±0.69)Pa;WSSmean(0.86±0.25)Pa],followed by IMT thickening group[(2.37±0.69)Pa;(0.77±0.35)Pa].The WSS was lowest in the normal IMT group[(2.13±0.52)Pa;(0.69±0.20)Pa].There was no significant difference in WSS of the middle segment of common carotid artery among the three groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The WSS in the bifurcation and middle section of common carotid artery in diabetic patients is lower than that in controls,and it changed with the increase of atherosclerosis degree.Therefore,the V-Flow technique of ultrasonic vector flow imaging has a certain value in evaluating the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in diabetic patients.