Comparison of diagnostic values of ultrasound micro-flow imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasound for neovascularization in carotid plaques

Hongxue Zhang; Jianwen Du; Hong Wang; Haili Wang; Jianhui Jiang; Jingjie Zhao; Huan Lu

doi:10.3892/etm.2017.4525

Comparison of diagnostic values of ultrasound micro-flow imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasound for neovascularization in carotid plaques

Exp Ther Med. 2017 Jul;14(1):680-688. doi: 10.3892/etm.2017.4525. Epub 2017 May 31.

Authors

Hongxue Zhang¹, Jianwen Du¹, Hong Wang¹, Haili Wang¹, Jianhui Jiang¹, Jingjie Zhao², Huan Lu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of UItrasonic Diagnosis, The Second Clinic, Institute of the Chengde Medical College, Chengde, Hebei 067000, P.R. China.
² Department of Pathology, The Second Clinic, Institute of the Chengde Medical College, Chengde, Hebei 067000, P.R. China.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnostic values of ultrasound micro-flow imaging (SMI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for neovascularization in carotid plaques, and to investigate their capacities for predicting the risks of cerebral stroke. A total of 39 patients (64 carotid plaques) with severe carotid artery stenosis undergoing carotid endarterectomy were selected between February 2015 and February 2016, and SMI and CEUS were used to detect neovascularization in plaques. According to the CEUS dynamic graph of plaques, the enhanced intensity visual scales and contrast parameters were obtained. Carotid atherosclerotic plaques were divided into 4 groups. The differences in the enhanced intensity visual scales, contrast parameters, and gray-scale median (GSM) values among the 4 groups were analyzed. Carotid plaque tissue samples from patients were stained for CD34, and the consistency of the methods for the diagnosis of neovascularization in plaques was analyzed. The differences in GSM values, enhanced intensities, and enhanced densities among the 4 groups of plaques were statistically significant (F=29.365, χ²=29.025, χ²=30.871, P<0.001); the differences in enhanced intensities of carotid atherosclerotic plaques with different echo types were statistically significant (χ²=17.951, P<0.001). The enhanced intensity of plaques was negatively correlated with the GSM value (r=-0.376, P<0.01), and the enhanced density of plaques was negatively correlated with the GSM value (r=-0.252, P<0.01). SMI and CEUS grading had good consistency (κ=0.860>0), there were statistically significant differences in new vessel densities with different SMI gradings (P<0.001), and the clinical symptoms and severity were positively correlated with SMI grading (rs=0.592>0). In conclusion, SMI and CEUS have good consistency for evaluating neovascularization in carotid plaques, and have good clinical value for evaluating neovascularization in carotid plaques.

Keywords: carotid atherosclerotic plaque; carotid endarterectomy; contrast-enhanced ultrasound; neovascularization; ultrasound micro flow imaging.