Application Value Of Elastography In The Diagnosis Of Carotid Artery Plaque

Objective To explore practical the value of Elastography’s area ratio method in thediagnosis of carotid artery plaque. And to explore value of quantitative real-time ultrasoundelastography (area ratio) in assessing patients with cerebral infarction carotid areteryplaque, as well as in evaluating stability of carotid artery plaque.Methods75cases outpatients were examined with conventional ultrasound carotidartery, determine whether the plaque was present and its location, quantity,size andintensity, switched to elastography mode to observe plaque in real-time. we freezed theimage when plaque in the two-dimensional image and the elasticity imaging was displayedclearly, and QF reached60. And the plaque was sketched three times, and then averaged，The instrument automatically detected the outline of the area, and calculated the elasticityratio(Area ratio=elastic graph area/dimensional map area, ie A2/A1).On the basis of the above findings and analysis,45cases with cerebral infarction wereexamined with conventional ultrasound carotid artery,determine whether the plaque waspresent and its location, size,intensity. When the plaque was identified, switch toelastography mode to observe plaque in real-time. We calculated the elasticity ratio in thesame way (Area ratio=elastic graph area/dimensional map area, ie A2/A1).Results52carotid atherosclerotic plaques were detected among75outpatients byultrasonic inspection,76.92%lied in the bifurcation of carotid artery（40/52）, The plaquesincluded35hypoechoic plaques,11hyperechoic plaques,8heterogeneous echo plaques;46carotid atherosclerotic plaques were detected among75outpatients by elastography, detection rate of88.4%（46/52）; The elasticity ratio of hypoechoic plaquesheterogeneous echo plaques, hyperechoic plaques increases in turn, and difference washighly statistically significant (P <0.001, P <0.05); differences were statistically significantpairwise(P<0.05).Among45patients with cerebral infarction,12cases are without plaque, and35carotid atherosclerotic plaques were detected in the remaining33cases by ultrasonicinspection. The plaque included4hypoechoic plaques,5isoechoic plaques,11hyperechoicplaques.15heterogeneous echo plaques. There elasticity ratio increases in turn, anddifference was statistically significant (P<0.001, P<0.05); hypoechoic and heterogeneousecho are no statistical significance between them (P>0.05); Isoechoic and heterogeneousecho are no statistical significance between them (P>0.05).Conclusions Ultrasound Elastography ‘s area ratio method can be used to evaluatethe hardness of carotid artery plaque, different tissue acoustic characteristics of the plaque,their area ratio is different, can serve as a good indicator to determine plaque stability, isimportant to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of clinical ischemic encephalopathy.