OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between plaque echogenicity as measured by computer and the incidence of cerebral brain infarction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven patients with 148 plaques producing more than 50% internal carotid artery stenosis were studied. Sixty-nine plaques were in asymptomatic patients, 35 were associated with amaurosis fugax, 19 with transient ischaemic attacks and 25 with stroke. All patients had a CT brain scan and the presence of ipsilateral cerebral infarction was noted. Images of the plaques obtained with an ATL Ultramark-4 Duplex scanner (7.5 MHz high resolution probe) were transferred to a computer. Using an image analysis program a histogram for each plaque was obtained with the number of pixels plotted against the grey scale (0-225). The median of the grey scale was used as a measure of echogenicity. RESULTS: Fifty-three (36%) of the 148 plaques were associated with ipsilateral CT brain infarction. Plaques with a grey scale median more than 32 (echogenic) were associated with an incidence of 11% (7/64) CT infarction. In contrast, plaques with grey scale median below or equal to 32 (echolucent) were associated with 55% (46/84) incidence of CT infarction (chi 2 = 30.35, p < 0.001, relative risk = 22, 95% confidence interval from 4.7 to 108). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that computer analysis of carotid plaque can identify high-risk carotid plaques. The potential of such analysis in the identification of asymptomatic high-risk patients should be explored in further studies.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between plaque echogenicity as measured by computer and the incidence of cerebral brain infarction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven patients with 148 plaques producing more than 50% internal carotid artery stenosis were studied. Sixty-nine plaques were in asymptomatic patients, 35 were associated with amaurosis fugax, 19 with transient ischaemic attacks and 25 with stroke. All patients had a CT brain scan and the presence of ipsilateral cerebral infarction was noted. Images of the plaques obtained with an ATL Ultramark-4 Duplex scanner (7.5 MHz high resolution probe) were transferred to a computer. Using an image analysis program a histogram for each plaque was obtained with the number of pixels plotted against the grey scale (0-225). The median of the grey scale was used as a measure of echogenicity. RESULTS: Fifty-three (36%) of the 148 plaques were associated with ipsilateral CT brain infarction. Plaques with a grey scale median more than 32 (echogenic) were associated with an incidence of 11% (7/64) CT infarction. In contrast, plaques with grey scale median below or equal to 32 (echolucent) were associated with 55% (46/84) incidence of CT infarction (chi 2 = 30.35, p < 0.001, relative risk = 22, 95% confidence interval from 4.7 to 108). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that computer analysis of carotid plaque can identify high-risk carotid plaques. The potential of such analysis in the identification of asymptomatic high-risk patients should be explored in further studies.
Authors: Manuel López-Alcaraz; Pedro Manuel Garamendi González; Inmaculada Alemán Aguilera; Miguel Botella López Journal: Int J Legal Med Date: 2013-08-25 Impact factor: 2.686
Authors: Manuel López-Alcaraz; Pedro Manuel Garamendi González; Inmaculada Alemán Aguilera; Miguel Botella López Journal: Int J Legal Med Date: 2014-07-02 Impact factor: 2.686
Authors: Mohamed Ouhlous; H Zwenneke Flach; Thomas T de Weert; Johanna M Hendriks; Marc R H M van Sambeek; Diederik W J Dippel; Peter M T Pattynama; Aad van der Lugt Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2005-05 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: Stavros K Kakkos; Andrew N Nicolaides; Efthyvoulos Kyriacou; Constantinos S Pattichis; George Geroulakos Journal: Cardiovasc Ultrasound Date: 2006-01-28 Impact factor: 2.062
Authors: Baris Kanber; Timothy C Hartshorne; Mark A Horsfield; Andrew R Naylor; Thompson G Robinson; Kumar V Ramnarine Journal: Cardiovasc Ultrasound Date: 2013-06-14 Impact factor: 2.062