医学
新生血管
血流
超声造影
放射科
颈动脉
对比度(视觉)
超声科
血管生成
心脏病学
内科学
计算机科学
人工智能
作者
Kazumasa Oura,Tadayoshi Kato,Hideki Ohba,Yasuo Terayama
标识
DOI:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2018.04.023
摘要
Several studies have shown a linkage between intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) and plaque instability. Although contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) may help visualize IPN in the carotid artery, its benefits are limited in Japan, where there is no health insurance coverage for contrast agents in medical imaging. Superb microvascular imaging (SMI), however, enables the depiction of low-velocity blood flow. The current study compares the diagnostic accuracy of SMI and CEUS in the evaluation of IPN.The SMI and CEUS video images were transferred to a workstation and then analyzed to determine whether intraplaque blood flow signals were detected with SMI and whether plaques were contrast-enhanced with carotid artery CEUS. The images generated were independently interpreted by 2 radiologic technologists and 1 neurologist.Intraplaque enhancement was observed in 19 patients using CEUS while intraplaque blood flow signals were observed in 12 patients using SMI. A 100% specificity was recorded for SMI (all 12 patients with SMI-detected intraplaque blood flow showed contrast-enhanced plaques), while its sensitivity was 63% (8 of the 15 patients with no SMI-detected intraplaque blood flow showed contrast-enhanced plaques on CEUS).The results of this study show that patients with SMI-detected blood flow will tend to have plaque enhancement using CEUS. This suggests that SMI, as a simpler, safer, and noninvasive technique, can facilitate the visualization of carotid artery IPN without the use of a contrast agent, as well as in the clinical evaluation of plaque instability.
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