3D Ultrasonic Tissue Characterization for Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis

Carotid plaque histology has confirmed that intraplaque hemorrhage and enlarging lipid-cores are important determinants of plaque rupture and stroke. Noninvasive characterization of these features may identify individuals at risk for stroke. Two-dimensional (2D) longitudinal-sectional ultrasound images have been used to predict plaque histology, but a single slice provides limited information. Tissue-characterization from 3D ultrasound imaging may offer more comprehensive information. We developed a clinical 3D ultrasound protocol to quantify plaque composition (hemorrhage, lipid, calcium and fibromuscular tissue), measured the reliability of this methodology, and identified the least change in composition that could be detected by this technique.
Source: Journal of Vascular Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Abstracts from the 2014 New England Society for Vascular Surgery/Eastern Vascular Society Joint Annual Meeting Source Type: research