This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Palombo, C. Articles by Pandian, N. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Palombo, C. Articles by Pandian, N. G. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Carotid Artery Disease Ultrasound

(Stroke. 1998;29:1631-1637.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Ultrafast Three-Dimensional Ultrasound

Application to Carotid Artery Imaging

Carlo Palombo, MD; Michaela Kozakova, MD, PhD; Carmela Morizzo, BSc; Fabio Andreuccetti, Eng; Alessandro Tondini, Eng; Paolo Palchetti, Eng; Gianluca Mirra, MD; Giuliano Parenti, MD; Natesa G. Pandian, MD

From the Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, and Department of Medicine (C.P., M.K., C.M.), and the Institute of Neurosurgery (G.P.), University of Pisa; Esaote S.p.A., Florence (F.A., A.T., P.P.), Italy; and New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass (G.M., N.G.P.).

Correspondence to Carlo Palombo, MD, Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, via Savi 8, 56 126 Pisa, Italy. E-mail palombo{at}nsifc.ifc.pi.cnr.it

Background and Purpose—Three-dimensional (3-D) vascular ultrasound can be expected to improve qualitative evaluation of vessel pathology and to provide quantitative data on vascular morphology and function. The objective of this study was to develop an ultrafast 3-D vascular system and to validate its performance for quantitation of atherosclerosis and assessment of regional arterial distensibility.

Methods—The quantitative analysis of focal atherosclerotic lesions was validated in vitro on 27 phantoms of fibroadipous plaques of known volume (range, 100 to 600 mm³). In vivo reproducibility of plaque volume measurement was tested in 33 patients who had a total of 47 predominantly fibroadipous carotid plaques. Distensibility assessment was validated indirectly through the evaluation of age-related changes in distensibility of common carotid artery in healthy and hypertensive subjects (25 men in each group).

Results—The volume of plaque phantoms measured from the 3-D data set showed a very close correlation with the true volume (r=0.99; y=0.96x+12.38; P<0.01), with the mean difference between the 2 measurements being -3.12±15.1 mm³. High reproducibility was found for measurement of carotid plaque volume in vivo: the mean difference between measurements from 2 observers for the same data set was 0.60±11.2 mm³. Indexes of arterial distensibility decreased with age in healthy population, whereas this relationship was lost in hypertensive subjects.

Conclusions—Ultrafast 3-D ultrasound imaging of carotid artery demonstrates good accuracy and reproducibility for atherosclerotic plaque volume measurements. The system also allows the study of age-related degenerative vascular changes.

Key Words: ultrasonics • carotid arteries • atherosclerosis • imaging

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J.K. Lovett, J.N.E. Redgrave, and P.M. Rothwell A Critical Appraisal of the Performance, Reporting, and Interpretation of Studies Comparing Carotid Plaque Imaging With Histology Stroke, May 1, 2005; 36(5): 1085 - 1091. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Landry, J. D. Spence, and A. Fenster Measurement of Carotid Plaque Volume by 3-Dimensional Ultrasound Stroke, April 1, 2004; 35(4): 864 - 869. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Schminke, L. Motsch, L. Hilker, and C. Kessler Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Observation of Carotid Artery Plaque Ulceration Stroke, July 1, 2000; 31(7): 1651 - 1655. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]