Quantification of progression and regression of carotid vessel atherosclerosis using 3D ultrasound images.

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process similar to scar formation in the inner wall of the artery. It is the underlying cause of heart attacks and some strokes. Atherosclerotic lesions in the artery wall are called plaques. 3D ultrasound (US) has been used to monitor the progression of carotid vessel plaques in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Different ways of measuring various ultrasound phenotypes of atherosclerosis have been developed. Here, we report on the development and application of a method used to analyze changes in carotid plaque morphology from 3D US. In an effort to extend our previous work in plaque thickness analysis, we developed a procedure that facilitates the visualization and comparison of the distribution of plaque thickness by mapping the 3D arterial structure into a 2D plane.