scholarly journals Late-Phase Contrast-enhanced US to Assess Unstable Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques

Radiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 257 (2) ◽  
pp. 588-589
Author(s):  
Stavros K. Kakkos ◽  
Andrew N. Nicolaides ◽  
Ioannis A. Tsolakis
Keyword(s):  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaques ◽  
Contrast Enhanced

scholarly journals Molecular Imaging of Carotid Plaque Vulnerability

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelika Alonso ◽  
Dimitrios Artemis ◽  
Michael G. Hennerici
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Imaging ◽  
Carotid Endarterectomy ◽  
Contrast Enhancement ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound ◽  
Plaque Vulnerability ◽  
Carotid Plaques ◽  
Contrast Enhanced

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been shown to be beneficial in patients with high-grade symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Patients with high-grade asymptomatic stenosis may only exceptionally benefit from CEA during periods of increased plaque vulnerability. Imaging modalities to characterize unstable, vulnerable plaques are strongly needed for better risk stratification in these patients. Summary: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a novel and noninvasive technique capable to identify several surrogate markers of vulnerable carotid plaques. The use of specific ultrasound microbubbles allows a reliable detection of microulcerations due to an optimized visualization of the plaque-lumen border. As microbubbles are strictly intravascular tracers, the detection of individual microbubbles within the plaque corresponds to intraplaque neovessels. The accuracy of CEUS in the visualization of newly formed microvessels has been confirmed in histological studies on carotid endarterectomy specimens. Together with the formation of adventitial vasa vasorum, intraplaque neovascularization is a strong predictor for symptomatic disease. The phenomenon of late phase contrast enhancement is based on the adherence of microbubble-containing monocytes on inflamed endothelium. Recent studies suggest that late phase contrast enhancement may reflect endothelial inflammation or activation within carotid plaques. The development of conjugated microbubbles that bind to specific ligands such as thrombotic material or neovessels has led to the term ‘molecular imaging'. CEUS with microbubbles targeted to P-selectin and VCAM-1, key molecules in leukocyte trafficking, was used to detect an inflammatory plaque phenotype, whereas microbubbles coupled to the VEGF-receptor may allow for a detection of neovascularization. Even though imaging with targeted microbubbles is yet in an experimental stage, this technique can visualize active plaque reorganization with increased vulnerability leading to generation of arterio-arterial embolism. Key Messages: The use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be recommended to assess atherosclerotic carotid lesions at risk for rupture. Prospective clinical studies are needed to validate the use of CEUS in patients with high risks of recurrent large artery strokes. In particular, this applies to the detection of intraplaque neovascularization, a well-established marker in preclinical and observational studies, while the clinical significance of late phase contrast enhancement still needs to be determined.

scholarly journals Inflammation within Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque: Assessment with Late-Phase Contrast-enhanced US

Radiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 255 (2) ◽  
pp. 638-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Owen ◽  
Joseph Shalhoub ◽  
Sam Miller ◽  
Thomas Gauthier ◽  
Ortansia Doryforou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atherosclerotic Plaque ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque ◽  
Contrast Enhanced

scholarly journals Late-Phase Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Reflects Biological Features of Instability in Human Carotid Atherosclerosis

Stroke ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 3634-3636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Shalhoub ◽  
Claudia Monaco ◽  
David R.J. Owen ◽  
Thomas Gauthier ◽  
Ankur Thapar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Carotid Atherosclerosis ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound ◽  
Biological Features ◽  
Contrast Enhanced ◽  
Human Carotid

scholarly journals Quantitative Analysis of the Time–Intensity Curve of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound of the Liver: Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Liver Lesions

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1244
Author(s):  
Sonja Schwarz ◽  
Dirk-André Clevert ◽  
Michael Ingrisch ◽  
Thomas Geyer ◽  
Vincent Schwarze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Focal Liver Lesions ◽  
Liver Lesions ◽  
Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound ◽  
Contrast Enhanced ◽  
Malignant Lesions ◽  
Benign Liver ◽  
Benign Liver Lesions

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of quantitative perfusion parameters in contrast-enhanced ultrasound to differentiate malignant from benign liver lesions. Methods: In this retrospective study 134 patients with a total of 139 focal liver lesions were included who underwent contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) between 2008 and 2018. All examinations were performed by a single radiologist with more than 15 years of experience using a second-generation blood pool contrast agent. The standard of reference was histopathology (n = 60), MRI or CT (n = 75) or long-term CEUS follow up (n = 4). For post processing regions of interests were drawn both inside of target lesions and the liver background. Time–intensity curves were fitted to the CEUS DICOM dataset and the rise time (RT) of contrast enhancement until peak enhancement, and a late-phase ratio (LPR) of signal intensities within the lesion and the background tissue, were calculated and compared between malignant and benign liver lesion using Student’s t-test. Quantitative parameters were evaluated with respect to their diagnostic accuracy using receiver operator characteristic curves. Both features were then combined in a logistic regression model and the cumulated accuracy was assessed. Results: RT of benign lesions (14.8 ± 13.8 s, p = 0.005), and in a subgroup analysis, particular hemangiomas (23.4 ± 16.2 s, p < 0.001) differed significantly to malignant lesions (9.3 ± 3.8 s). The LPR was significantly different between benign (1.59 ± 1.59, p < 0.001) and malignant lesions (0.38 ± 0.23). Logistic regression analysis with RT and LPR combined showed a high diagnostic accuracy of quantitative CEUS parameters with areas under the curve of 0.923 (benign vs. malignant) and 0.929 (hemangioma vs. malignant. Conclusions: Quantified CEUS parameters are helpful to differentiate malignant from benign liver lesions, in particular in case of atypical hemangiomas.

scholarly journals A Voxel-Map Quantitative Analysis Approach for Atherosclerotic Noncalcified Plaques of the Coronary Artery Tree

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Li ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Kaijun Liu ◽  
Yi Wu ◽  
Yonglin Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Artery ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Coronary Intervention ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaques ◽  
Anatomical Location ◽  
Contrast Enhanced ◽  
Percutaneous Coronary ◽  
Map Analysis ◽  
Coronary Artery Tree

Noncalcified plaques (NCPs) are associated with the presence of lipid-core plaques that are prone to rupture. Thus, it is important to detect and monitor the development of NCPs. Contrast-enhanced coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) is a potential imaging technique to identify atherosclerotic plaques in the whole coronary tree, but it fails to provide information about vessel walls. In order to overcome the limitations of coronary CTA and provide more meaningful quantitative information for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), we proposed a Voxel-Map based on mathematical morphology to quantitatively analyze the noncalcified plaques on a three-dimensional coronary artery wall model (3D-CAWM). This approach is a combination of Voxel-Map analysis techniques, plaque locating, and anatomical location related labeling, which show more detailed and comprehensive coronary tree wall visualization.

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