CEFUS visualizes carotid plaque volume

3D contrast-enhanced fusion ultrasound (CEFUS) can analyze carotid plaque volume burden and could monitor plaque development over time, a study published January 3 in Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology found. Researchers led by Karin Yeung, MD, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark found that this ultrasound method showed comparable performance to that of 3D CT angiography (CTA) and could provide visualization of the vessel lumen, creating a “lumenography.” “3D CEFUS is promising for monitoring carotid plaque burden, with lumenography considered as an additional imaging biomarker,” Yeung and co-authors wrote. Atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with imaging used to monitor plaque development. 3D CEFUS is a novel technique that provides a spatial visualization of the carotid artery lumen. The resulting contrast-based “lumenography” resembles lumen visualization in angiography, the researchers highlighted. Yeung and colleagues compared the respective performances of 3D CEFUS and 3D CTA in assessing carotid plaque volume. They acquired CEFUS images by spatial stitching of serial 2D images. To do this, they used an ultrasound system with magnetic tracking, a linear array transducer, and Bracco Diagnostic's SonoVue contrast agent. The team also constructed atherosclerotic carotid arteries from both imaging modalities with lumenography using an offline software program. In total, the team included data f...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Cardiovascular Radiology Source Type: news