The Application Study On The Characterision Of Carotid Plaque With Ultrasound Real-time Tissue Elastography Technique

【Objective】This study applied real-time tissue elastography(RTE) technique to obtain the dynamic elastic graph. Use computer-aided program to obtain grey-scale median(GSM). And preliminarily investigate the elastic graph, elasticity score, the elastic parameters (including the elasticity index and elasticity ratio) and GSM of different gray plaques.【Methods】1.40patients with85carotid plaques (21males,19females, average age57.3±7.5), who visited in my hospital for cervical vascular examination from January2013to December2013, were enrolled in this study.2. The carotid plaque was examined by GE LOGIQE9Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus with line array9L probe and the frequency was between5.0and9.0MHz. Use common ultrasound and elasticity image model to obtain the elastic dynamic graph of every plaque.3. According to dynamic elastic graph, every plaque was analyzed for the elastic parameters. Use computer-aided program to obtain GSM.4. According to the plaque classification system proposed by Gray-weale et al, the different gray plaques were divided into four groups. Elasticity score, the elastic parameters and GSM from four groups of plaques were obtained to analyze their differences.5. Analyzed the correlation between the elastic parameters and GSM.【Results】1. RTE image of plaques: homogeneous echolucent plaques showed well-distributed green; heterogeneous echolucent plaques showed heterogeneous green or irregular green and blue; heterogeneous echogenic plaque showed blue or irregular blue and green; homogeneous echogenic plaque showed well-distributed blue.2. Compared elasticity score, the elastic parameters and GSM among groups: there was statistical difference between homogeneous echolucent plaques and homogeneous echogenic plaques(P<0.05); there was statistical difference between heterogeneous echolucent plaques and heterogeneous echogenic plaques(P<0.05); there was statistical difference between homogeneous echolucent plaques and heterogeneous echogenic plaques(P<0.05); there was statistical difference between heterogeneous echolucent plaques and homogeneous echogenic plaques(P<0.05).3. Elasticity index and GSM of plaque have a linear correlation(r=0.886,P=0.000); Elasticity ratio and GSM of plaque have a linear correlation(r=0.810, P=0.000).【Conclusions】1. Different gray plaques show different characteristics of RTE image.2. Elasticity score and elastic parameters can reflect the hardness of plaque.3. The elastic parameters and GSM of plaque have a linear correlation.