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- Title
Imaging of Carotid Plaque Neovascularization by Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
- Authors
Cattaneo, Mattia; Sun, Jie; Staub, Daniel; Xu, Dongxiang; Gallino, Jeanne Marie; Santini, Paolo; Porretta, Alessandra P.; Yuan, Chun; Balu, Niranjan; Arnold, Marcel; Froio, Alberto; Limoni, Costanzo; Wyttenbach, Rolf; Gallino, Augusto
- Abstract
Background: Carotid plaque neovascularization (vasa vasorum [VV]) may be useful for detecting high-risk atherosclerotic plaques. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) are 2 commonly used techniques for imaging VV of the carotid plaque, yet the relationship between their measurements remains unknown. Objectives: We aimed to blindly evaluate the correlation between CEUS and DCE-MRI in measuring carotid plaque VV. Methods: We recruited subjects with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (≥50%). VV was graded by CEUS, based on richness of contrast signal, according to 3 different methods named CEUS_A, CEUS_B and CEUS_C on different point scales (the higher the values, the higher the estimated VV). A 3.0 T MRI scanner was used for VV quantification by DCE-MRI using gadolinium contrast kinetic modelling for computing the fractional plasma volume (vp) and transfer constant (Ktrans). Results: The analysis included 30 patients. A significant correlation between CEUS and DCE-MRI findings was observed when CEUS_C was used for neovessel grading and DCE-MRI was used to determine adventitial (r = 0.460, p = 0.010) and plaque (r = 0.374, p = 0.042) Ktrans values. CEUS_B (r = 0.416, p = 0.022) and CEUS_C (r = 0.443, p = 0.014) grading showed a significant correlation with regard to the maximal Ktrans. Conclusions: We found a positive but weak correlation and a moderate diagnostic agreement between neovessels as visually graded by CEUS and adventitial neovessels assessed by DCE-MRI Ktrans in carotid atherosclerosis. These findings may help in understanding how VV density, flow, and permeability influence in vivo measurements by CEUS and DCE-MRI as well as in selecting the most appropriate variables and imaging method in future research and potentially in clinical settings. Further confirmative studies are necessary to confirm our results.
- Subjects
CONTRAST-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging; ATHEROSCLEROTIC plaque; CONTRAST-enhanced ultrasound; NEOVASCULARIZATION; BLOOD volume
- Publication
Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2019, Vol 48, Issue 3-6, p140
- ISSN
1015-9770
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1159/000504042