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Curcio N, Rosato A, Mazzaccaro D, Nano G, Conti M, Matrone G. 3D patient-specific modeling and structural finite element analysis of atherosclerotic carotid artery based on computed tomography angiography. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19911. [PMID: 37964071 PMCID: PMC10645924 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46949-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The assessment of carotid plaque vulnerability is a relevant clinical information that can help prevent adverse cerebrovascular events. To this aim, in this study, we propose a patient-specific computational workflow to quantify the stress distribution in an atherosclerotic carotid artery, by means of geometric modeling and structural simulation of the plaque and vessel wall. Ten patients were involved in our study. Starting with segmentation of the lumen, calcific and lipid plaque components from computed tomography angiography images, the fibrous component and the vessel wall were semi-automatically reconstructed with an ad-hoc procedure. Finite element analyses were performed using local pressure values derived from ultrasound imaging. Simulation outputs were analyzed to assess how mechanical factors influence the stresses within the atherosclerotic wall. The developed reconstruction method was first evaluated by comparing the results obtained using the automatically generated fibrous component model and the one derived from image segmentation. The high-stress regions in the carotid artery wall around plaques suggest areas of possible rupture. In mostly lipidic and heterogeneous plaques, the highest stresses are localized at the interface between the lipidic components and the lumen, in the fibrous cap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Curcio
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Rosato
- 3D and Computer Simulation Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Daniela Mazzaccaro
- Operative Unit of Vascular Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nano
- Operative Unit of Vascular Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Conti
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Matrone
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
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Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Scipione C, Scipione V, Cornelli U, Cotellese R, Dugall M, Hosoi M, Corsi M, Feragalli B, Cox D, Pizzicannella G. Efficacy of the combination Pycnogenol® and Centellicum® on preventing the progression of atherosclerotic plaques: a morphological study. Panminerva Med 2023; 65:283-285. [PMID: 36789998 DOI: 10.23736/s0031-0808.22.04759-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gianni Belcaro
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy -
- Nicolaides' Lab, Spoltore, Pescara, Italy -
| | - Maria R Cesarone
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
- Nicolaides' Lab, Spoltore, Pescara, Italy
| | - Claudia Scipione
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
- Nicolaides' Lab, Spoltore, Pescara, Italy
| | - Valeria Scipione
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
| | - Umberto Cornelli
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
| | - Roberto Cotellese
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
| | - Mark Dugall
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
| | - Morio Hosoi
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
| | - Marcello Corsi
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
| | - Beatrice Feragalli
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
| | - David Cox
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
- Nicolaides' Lab, Spoltore, Pescara, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pizzicannella
- Irvine3 and Nicolaides Labs, Circulation Sciences and San Valentino, Vascular Screening Center (Dpt. Med Or. Biotec, Sciences) Ch-Pe, University, Pescara, Italy
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Wang LJ, Zhai PQ, Xue LL, Shi CY, Zhang Q, Zhang H. Machine learning-based identification of symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic plaques with dual-energy computed tomography angiography. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2023; 32:107209. [PMID: 37290153 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2023.107209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop and validate a machine learning model incorporating both dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) angiography quantitative parameters and clinically relevant risk factors for the identification of symptomatic carotid plaques to prevent acute cerebrovascular events. METHODS The data of 180 patients with carotid atherosclerosis plaques were analysed from January 2017 to December 2021; 110 patients (64.03±9.58 years old, 20 women, 90 men) were allocated to the symptomatic group, and 70 patients (64.70±9.89 years old, 50 women, 20 men) were allocated to the asymptomatic group. Overall, five machine learning models using the XGBoost algorithm, based on different CT and clinical features, were developed in the training cohort. The performances of all five models were assessed in the testing cohort using receiver operating characteristic curves, accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score. RESULTS The shapley additive explanation (SHAP) value ranking showed fat fraction (FF) as the highest among all CT and clinical features and normalised iodine density (NID) as the 10th. The model based on the top 10 features from the SHAP measurement showed optimal performance (area under the curve [AUC] .885, accuracy .833, recall rate .933, F1 score .861), compared with the other four models based on conventional CT features (AUC .588, accuracy .593, recall rate .767, F1 score .676), DECT features (AUC .685, accuracy .648, recall rate .667, F1 score .678), conventional CT and DECT features (AUC .819, accuracy .740, recall rate .867, F1 score .788), and all CT and clinical features (AUC .878, accuracy .833, recall rate .867, F1 score .852). CONCLUSION FF and NID can serve as useful imaging markers of symptomatic carotid plaques. This tree-based machine learning model incorporating both DECT and clinical features could potentially comprise a non-invasive method for identification of symptomatic carotid plaques to guide clinical treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Jie Wang
- Department of Radiology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001, PR China.
| | - Pei-Qing Zhai
- Department of Radiology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001, PR China.
| | - Li-Li Xue
- Department of Radiology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001, PR China.
| | - Cai-Yun Shi
- Department of Radiology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001, PR China.
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Radiology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001, PR China.
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Radiology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001, PR China.
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Domanin M, Bennati L, Vergara C, Bissacco D, Malloggi C, Silani V, Parati G, Trimarchi S, Casana R. Fluid structure interaction analysis to stratify the behavior of different atheromatous carotid plaques. THE JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY 2023; 64:58-66. [PMID: 36106395 DOI: 10.23736/s0021-9509.22.12170-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS), different plaque types, i.e. lipidic (LP), fibrous (FP), and calcific (CP), could have different hemodynamic and structural behaviors. METHODS Different carotid plaques, reconstructed from medical imaging of ACS >70%, were analyzed by computing fluid structure interaction (FSI), modeling the spatial distribution of wall shear stresses (WSS), plaque displacements (D), von Mises stresses (VMS), and absorbed elastic energy (AEE) together with their maximum-in-space values at the systole (WSS<inf>syst</inf>, D<inf>syst</inf>, VMS<inf>syst</inf> and AEE<inf>syst</inf>). RESULTS WSS resulted significantly higher in CP, whereas D and VMS showed the highest values for LP. Regarding AEE<inf>syst</inf> stored by the plaques, LP absorbed in average 2320 J/m3, FP 408 J/m3 (470%) and CP 99 J/m3 (2240%), (P<0.01, P<0.01, and P<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Depending upon their nature, plaques store different deformations and inner distributions of forces, thus potentially influencing their vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Domanin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy - .,Vascular Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy -
| | - Lorenzo Bennati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche Odontostomatologiche e Materno-Infantili, Università degli Studi di Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Christian Vergara
- LABS, Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Bissacco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Malloggi
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Dipartimento di Neurologia e Stroke Unit e Laboratorio di Ricerche di Neuroscienze, Ospedale San Luca, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Dipartimento di Neurologia e Stroke Unit e Laboratorio di Ricerche di Neuroscienze, Ospedale San Luca, Milan, Italy.,Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Centro 'Dino Ferrari', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Parati
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Neurologiche, Metaboliche, Ospedale San Luca, Milan, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Santi Trimarchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Vascular Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Renato Casana
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Centro Chirurgia Vascolare, Auxologico Capitanio, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Laboratorio Sperimentale di Ricerche di Chirurgia Vascolare, Milan, Italy
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Kemper P, Nauleau P, Karageorgos G, Weber R, Kwon N, Szabolcs M, Konofagou E. Feasibility of longitudinal monitoring of atherosclerosis with pulse wave imaging in a swine model. Physiol Meas 2021; 42:10.1088/1361-6579/ac290f. [PMID: 34551396 PMCID: PMC8733748 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/ac290f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease characterized by compositional and mechanical changes in the arterial walls that lead to a plaque buildup. Depending on its geometry and composition, a plaque can ruptured and cause stroke, ischemia or infarction. Pulse wave imaging (PWI) is an ultrasound-based technique developed to locally quantify the stiffness of arteries. This technique has shown promising results when applied to patients. The objective of this study is to assess the capability of PWI to monitor the disease progression in a swine model that mimics human pathology.Approach.The left common carotid of three hypercholesterolemic Wisconsin miniature swines, fed an atherogenic diet, was ligated. Ligated and contralateral carotids were imaged once a month over 9 months, at a high-frame-rate, with a 5-plane wave compounding sequence and a 5 MHz linear array. Each acquisition was repeated after probe repositioning to evaluate the reproducibility. Wall displacements were estimated from the beamformed RF-data and were arranged as spatiotemporal maps depicting the wave propagation. The pulse wave velocity (PWV) estimated by tracking the 50% upstroke of the wave was converted in compliance using the Bramwell-Hill model. At the termination of the experiment, the carotids were extracted for histology analysis.Main results.PWI was able to monitor the evolution of compliance in both carotids of the animals. Reproducibility was demonstrated as the difference of PWV between cardiac cycles was similar to the difference between acquisitions (9.04% versus 9.91%). The plaque components were similar to the ones usually observed in patients. Each animal presented a unique pattern of compliance progression, which was confirmed by the plaque composition observed histologically.Significance.This study provides important insights on the vascular wall stiffness progression in an atherosclerotic swine model. It therefore paves the way for a thorough longitudinal study that examines the role of stiffness in both the plaque formation and plaque progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kemper
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Pierre Nauleau
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Grigorios Karageorgos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Rachel Weber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Nancy Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Matthias Szabolcs
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Elisa Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
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Li Y, Kwong DLW, Wu VWC, Yip SP, Law HKW, Lee SWY, Ying MTC. Computer-assisted ultrasound assessment of plaque characteristics in radiation-induced and non-radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2021; 11:2292-2306. [PMID: 34079702 DOI: 10.21037/qims-20-1012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background This study investigated the feasibility of using a computer-assisted method to evaluate and differentiate the carotid plaque characteristics in radiation-induced and non-radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis. Methods This study included 107 post-radiotherapy (post-RT) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and 110 subjects with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). Each participant had a carotid ultrasound examination, and carotid plaques and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) were evaluated with grey scale ultrasound. The carotid plaque characteristics were evaluated for grey-scale median (GSM) and detailed plaque texture analysis (DPTA) using specific computer software. In DPTA, five different intra-plaque components were colour-coded according to different grey scale ranges. A multivariate linear regression model was used to evaluate the correlation of risk factors and carotid plaque characteristics. Results Post-RT NPC patients have significantly higher CIMT (748±15.1 µm, P=0.001), more patients had a plaque formation (80.4%, P<0.001) and more plaque locations (2.3±0.2, P<0.001) than CVRF subjects (680.4±10.0 µm, 38.2% and 0.5±0.1 respectively). Among the five intra-plaque components, radiation-induced carotid plaques had significantly larger area of calcification (4.8%±7.7%, P=0.012), but lesser area of lipid (42.1%±16.9%, P=0.034) when compared to non-radiation-induced carotid plaques (3.0%±5.7% and 46.3%±17.9% respectively). Age, radiation and number of CVRF were significantly associated with the carotid atherosclerosis burden (P<0.001). Besides, age was significantly associated with the amount of lipid and calcification within carotid plaques (P<0.001). Conclusions Radiation caused more severe carotid artery disease than CVRF with larger CIMT and more prevalent of carotid plaque. Radiation-induced carotid plaques tended to have more intra-plaque calcifications, whereas non-radiation-induced carotid plaques had more lipids. Ultrasound aided by computer-assisted image analysis has potential for more accurate assessment of carotid atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxi Li
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dora Lai-Wan Kwong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Vincent Wing-Cheung Wu
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shea-Ping Yip
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Helen Ka-Wai Law
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shara Wee-Yee Lee
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Michael Tin-Cheung Ying
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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Ultrasound Methods in the Evaluation of Atherosclerosis: From Pathophysiology to Clinic. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040418. [PMID: 33924492 PMCID: PMC8070406 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a key pathological process that causes a plethora of pathologies, including coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and ischemic stroke. The silent progression of the atherosclerotic disease prompts for new surveillance tools that can visualize, characterize, and provide a risk evaluation of the atherosclerotic plaque. Conventional ultrasound methods—bright (B)-mode US plus Doppler mode—provide a rapid, cost-efficient way to visualize an established plaque and give a rapid risk stratification of the patient through the Gray–Weale standardization—echolucent plaques with ≥50% stenosis have a significantly greater risk of ipsilateral stroke. Although rather disputed, the measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) may prove useful in identifying subclinical atherosclerosis. In addition, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) allows for a better image resolution and the visualization and quantification of plaque neovascularization, which has been correlated with future cardiovascular events. Newly emerging elastography techniques such as strain elastography and shear-wave elastography add a new dimension to this evaluation—the biomechanics of the arterial wall, which is altered in atherosclerosis. The invasive counterpart, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), enables an individualized assessment of the anti-atherosclerotic therapies, as well as a direct risk assessment of these lesions through virtual histology IVUS.
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Kim H, Byun E, Jeong MJ, Hong HS, Han Y, Kwon TW, Cho YP. Duplex ultrasound findings and clinical outcomes of carotid restenosis after carotid endarterectomy. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244544. [PMID: 33373383 PMCID: PMC7771870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to describe the duplex ultrasound (DUS) findings associated with carotid restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and to determine whether carotid restenosis is associated with the clinical outcomes of CEA. Between January 2007 and December 2016, a total of 660 consecutive patients who underwent 717 CEAs were followed up at our hospital with DUS surveillance for at least 3 years after CEA. These patients were analyzed retrospectively for this study. Following CEA, restenosis was defined as the development of ≥50% stenosis, diagnosed on the basis of DUS findings of the luminal narrowing and velocity criteria. The study outcomes were defined as restenosis of the ipsilateral carotid artery after CEA and late (>30days) fatal or nonfatal stroke ipsilateral to the carotid restenosis. During the median follow-up period of 74 months, the restenosis incidence was 2.8% (20/717), and there were 2 strokes (2/20, 10%) ipsilateral to the restenosis after CEA; reintervention was performed for 11 patients with carotid restenosis (55%). Within 2 years after CEA, restenosis was identified in 9 cases (45%, 9/20), and 8 reinterventions (72.7%, 8/11) were performed. According to DUS findings, the morphologic characteristics of carotid restenosis were different from the preoperative plaque morphology. Among the 20 carotid restenosis cases, we observed the following DUS patterns: homogenous isoechoic restenosis (n = 14, 70%), homogenous hypoechoic (n = 2, 10%), isoechoic with hypoechoic surface (n = 3, 15%), and hypoechoic with isoechoic surface (n = 1, 5%). Although 9 carotid restenosis patients received prophylactic reintervention to mitigate the progression of restenosis, the 2 symptomatic restenosis patients had isoechoic lesions with hypoechoic surfaces on DUS. On Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, in terms of stroke-free survival rates, there was a higher risk of stroke among patients with carotid restenosis compared with patients without restenosis, with a non-significant trend (P = 0.051). In conclusion, most carotid restenoses were identified within 2 years after CEA, and there was a non-significant trend toward a higher risk of stroke among patients with carotid restenosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyangkyoung Kim
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunae Byun
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Jae Jeong
- Department of Surgery, GangNeung Asan Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Sun Hong
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngjin Han
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Won Kwon
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Pil Cho
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Messas E, Goudot G, Halliday A, Sitruk J, Mirault T, Khider L, Saldmann F, Mazzolai L, Aboyans V. Management of carotid stenosis for primary and secondary prevention of stroke: state-of-the-art 2020: a critical review. Eur Heart J Suppl 2020; 22:M35-M42. [PMID: 33664638 PMCID: PMC7916422 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/suaa162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Carotid atherosclerotic plaque is encountered frequently in patients at high cardiovascular risk, especially in the elderly. When plaque reaches 50% of carotid lumen, it induces haemodynamically significant carotid stenosis, for which management is currently at a turning point. Improved control of blood pressure, smoking ban campaigns, and the widespread use of statins have reduced the risk of cerebral infarction to <1% per year. However, about 15% of strokes are still secondary to a carotid stenosis, which can potentially be detected by effective imaging techniques. For symptomatic carotid stenosis, current ESC guidelines put a threshold of 70% for formal indication for revascularization. A revascularization should be discussed for symptomatic stenosis over 50% and for asymptomatic carotid stenosis over 60%. This evaluation should be performed by ultrasound as a first-line examination. As a complement, computed tomography angiography (CTA) and/or magnetic resonance angiography are recommended for evaluating the extent and severity of extracranial carotid stenosis. In perspective, new high-risk markers are currently being developed using markers of plaque neovascularization, plaque inflammation, or plaque tissue stiffness. Medical management of patient with carotid stenosis is always warranted and applied to any patient with atheromatous lesions. Best medical therapy is based on cardiovascular risk factors correction, including lifestyle intervention and a pharmacological treatment. It is based on the tri-therapy strategy with antiplatelet, statins, and ACE inhibitors. The indications for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) are similar: for symptomatic patients (recent stroke or transient ischaemic attack ) if stenosis >50%; for asymptomatic patients: tight stenosis (>60%) and a perceived high long-term risk of stroke (determined mainly by imaging criteria). Choice of procedure may be influenced by anatomy (high stenosis, difficult CAS or CEA access, incomplete circle of Willis), prior illness or treatment (radiotherapy, other neck surgery), or patient risk (unable to lie flat, poor AHA assessment). In conclusion, neither systematic nor abandoned, the place of carotid revascularization must necessarily be limited to the plaques at highest risk, leaving a large place for optimized medical treatment as first line management. An evaluation of the value of performing endarterectomy on plaques considered to be at high risk is currently underway in the ACTRIS and CREST 2 studies. These studies, along with the next result of ACST-2 trial, will provide us a more precise strategy in case of carotid stenosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Messas
- Vascular Medicine Department, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Goudot
- Vascular Medicine Department, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Alison Halliday
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Level 6 John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jonas Sitruk
- Vascular Medicine Department, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Tristan Mirault
- Vascular Medicine Department, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Lina Khider
- Vascular Medicine Department, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Saldmann
- Vascular Medicine Department, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Lucia Mazzolai
- Angiology Division, CHUV University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Victor Aboyans
- Department of Cardiology, Dupuytren University Hospital, INSERM 1094 & IRD, Limoges, France
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Murgia A, Erta M, Suri JS, Gupta A, Wintermark M, Saba L. CT imaging features of carotid artery plaque vulnerability. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1261. [PMID: 33178793 PMCID: PMC7607080 DOI: 10.21037/atm-2020-cass-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite steady advances in medical care, cardiovascular disease remains one of the main causes of death and long-term morbidity worldwide. Up to 30% of strokes are associated with the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques. While the degree of stenosis has long been recognized as the main guiding factor in risk stratification and therapeutical decisions, recent evidence suggests that features of unstable, or ‘vulnerable’, plaques offer better prognostication capabilities. This paradigmatic shift has motivated researchers to explore the potentialities of non-invasive diagnostic tools to image not only the lumen, but also the vascular wall and the structural characteristics of the plaque. The present review will offer a panoramic on the imaging modalities currently available to characterize carotid atherosclerotic plaques and, in particular, it will focus on the increasingly important role covered by multidetector computed tomographic angiography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Murgia
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari - Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Marco Erta
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari - Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Jasjit S Suri
- Stroke Monitoring and Diagnosis Division, AtheroPoint(tm), Roseville, CA, USA
| | - Ajay Gupta
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Max Wintermark
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Luca Saba
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari - Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
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11
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Murgia A, Balestrieri A, Francone M, Lucatelli P, Scapin E, Buckler A, Micheletti G, Faa G, Conti M, Suri JS, Guglielmi G, Carriero A, Saba L. Plaque imaging volume analysis: technique and application. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2020; 10:1032-1047. [PMID: 32968659 PMCID: PMC7487381 DOI: 10.21037/cdt.2020.03.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The prevention and management of atherosclerosis poses a tough challenge to public health organizations worldwide. Together with myocardial infarction, stroke represents its main manifestation, with up to 25% of all ischemic strokes being caused by thromboembolism arising from the carotid arteries. Therefore, a vast number of publications have focused on the characterization of the culprit lesion, the atherosclerotic plaque. A paradigm shift appears to be taking place at the current state of research, as the attention is gradually moving from the classically defined degree of stenosis to the identification of features of plaque vulnerability, which appear to be more reliable predictors of recurrent cerebrovascular events. The present review will offer a perspective on the present state of research in the field of carotid atherosclerotic disease, focusing on the imaging modalities currently used in the study of the carotid plaque and the impact that such diagnostic means are having in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Murgia
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari – Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari) 09045, Italy
| | - Antonella Balestrieri
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari – Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari) 09045, Italy
| | - Marco Francone
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences-Radiology, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pierleone Lucatelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences-Radiology, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Scapin
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari – Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari) 09045, Italy
| | | | - Giulio Micheletti
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari – Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari) 09045, Italy
| | - Gavino Faa
- Department of Pathology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari – Polo San Giovanni di Dio, Cagliari (Cagliari) 09045, Italy
| | - Maurizio Conti
- Diagnostic and Monitoring Division, AtheroPoint™ LLC, Roseville, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, U of Idaho (Affl.), Idaho, USA
| | - Jasjit S. Suri
- Diagnostic and Monitoring Division, AtheroPoint™ LLC, Roseville, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, U of Idaho (Affl.), Idaho, USA
| | | | - Alessandro Carriero
- Department of Radiology, Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Luca Saba
- Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari – Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato (Cagliari) 09045, Italy
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12
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Mazzaccaro D, Ambrogi F, Milani V, Modafferi A, Marrocco-Trischitta MM, Malacrida G, Righini P, Nano G. Correlation of Clinical and Ultrasound Variables to Vulnerability of Carotid Plaques in Patients Submitted to Carotid Endarterectomy. Ann Vasc Surg 2020; 67:213-222. [PMID: 32205243 DOI: 10.1016/j.avsg.2020.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation of clinical and ultrasound parameters with characters of vulnerable atherosclerotic carotid plaque, as evaluated at preoperative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), in patients submitted to carotid endarterectomy (CEA), in order to develop a clinical risk score for plaque vulnerability. METHODS Preoperative data of patients submitted to CEA for significant carotid stenosis from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016 were retrospectively collected. The available case series was randomly divided into 2 groups, including a training (60%) and a validation series (40%). Data of plaque vulnerability were assessed at preoperative MRA scans. Univariate analysis was used on the training series to correlate the preoperative covariates available to the features of plaque vulnerability. Therefore, a backward selection procedure was performed again on the training series and on the validation series to assess if the same variables were associated to data of plaque vulnerability, in order to obtain a prediction model for the risk of plaque vulnerability. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals were reported. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS The training case series consisted of 352 patients, while the validation case series of 248 patients. After univariate analysis and logistic regression, on the training and the validation series respectively, 6 variables were significantly associated to features of vulnerable plaque at preoperative MRA. These included male sex (OR 2.05), diabetes mellitus (OR 3.06), coronary artery disease (OR 1.95), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (OR 17.99), platelet counts (OR 1.03), and gray-scale median value (OR 0.84). A nomogram was then obtained from the final logistic model, in order to predict the probability of the presence of vulnerable carotid plaque, using a weighted points system. This risk score was then applied to the validation series. The validation data were found to have a C-index of 0.934. CONCLUSIONS Sex, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet counts, and gray-scale median value were significantly associated to the features of vulnerable plaque at preoperative MRA in patients undergoing CEA. In particular, when combined together in a "risk score," these variables provided an accurate probability of the presence of a vulnerable plaque at MRA scans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Mazzaccaro
- Operative Unit of Vascular Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy.
| | - Federico Ambrogi
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Milani
- IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Scientific Directorate, Milan, Italy
| | - Alfredo Modafferi
- Operative Unit of Vascular Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Malacrida
- Operative Unit of Vascular Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Righini
- Operative Unit of Vascular Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nano
- Operative Unit of Vascular Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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13
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Funakoshi Y, Imamura H, Tani S, Adachi H, Fukumitsu R, Sunohara T, Omura Y, Matsui Y, Sasaki N, Fukuda T, Akiyama R, Horiuchi K, Kajiura S, Shigeyasu M, Iihara K, Sakai N. Safety and efficacy of an open-cell stent and double-balloon protection for unstable plaques: analysis of 184 consecutive carotid artery stentings. J Neurointerv Surg 2019; 12:758-762. [PMID: 31719111 DOI: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2019-015393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In our institute, most cases of carotid artery stenosis are treated by carotid artery stenting (CAS) with an open-cell stent and double-balloon protection, even if plaques are unstable. This study was performed to examine the outcome of CAS with an open-cell stent and double-balloon protection for unstable plaques. METHODS A total of 184 CAS procedures in our institute between October 2010 and February 2018 were assessed. Ultrasonography findings of low-echo plaques, plaque ulceration, or both were defined as unstable plaques. A plaque-to-muscle ratio (PMR) of >1.8 on T1-weighted black blood imaging using spin-echo was also defined as an unstable plaque. Seventy-four unstable plaques on ultrasonography and 86 unstable plaques evaluated by PMR were included. Open-cell stents and double-balloon protection (proximal balloon protection during lesion crossing and distal balloon protection after lesion crossing) were used in all cases. RESULTS On ultrasonography, perioperative asymptomatic thromboembolization was significantly more frequent in the unstable plaque group (39/74, 52.7%) than in the stable plaque group (41/110, 37.3%, p=0.0384). Asymptomatic thromboembolization was also significantly more frequent in the PMR >1.8 group (44/86, 51.2%) than in the PMR <1.8 group (36/98, 36.7%, p=0.0489). However, symptomatic thromboembolization was rare (n=5, 2.7%), and all of these patients had minor stroke. During the 4-year follow-up, the risk of ipsilateral stroke was 0.28% and 0.27% per year in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The outcomes of CAS with an open-cell stent and double-balloon protection are acceptable. This method is effective and safe, even if carotid artery stenosis comprises unstable plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Funakoshi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hirotoshi Imamura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shoichi Tani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hidemitsu Adachi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ryu Fukumitsu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tadashi Sunohara
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Omura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yuichi Matsui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Natsuhi Sasaki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tatsumaru Fukuda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ryo Akiyama
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kazufumi Horiuchi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shinji Kajiura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Masashi Shigeyasu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Koji Iihara
- Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Sakai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
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14
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Garoff M, Ahlqvist J, Edin LT, Jensen S, Levring Jäghagen E, Petäjäniemi F, Wester P, Johansson E. Bilateral vessel-outlining carotid artery calcifications in panoramic radiographs: an independent risk marker for vascular events. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019; 19:225. [PMID: 31619183 PMCID: PMC6796463 DOI: 10.1186/s12872-019-1211-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In odontology, panoramic radiographs (PRs) are regularly performed. PRs depict the teeth and jaws as well as carotid artery calcifications (CACs). Patients with CACs on PRs have an increased risk of vascular events compared to healthy controls without CACs, but this association is often caused by more vascular events and risk factors at baseline. However, the risk of vascular events has only been analyzed based on the presence of CACs, and not their shape. Thus, this study determined if the shape of CACs in PRs affects the risk of future vascular events. Methods The study cohort included 117 consecutive patients with CACs in PRs and 121 age-matched controls without CACs. CAC shape in PRs was dichotomized into bilateral vessel-outlining CACs and other CAC shapes. Participants were followed prospectively for an endpoint of vascular events including myocardial infarction, stroke, and vascular death. Results Patients with bilateral vessel-outlining CACs had more previous vascular events than those with other CAC shapes and the healthy controls (p < 0.001, χ2). The mean follow-up duration was 9.5 years. The endpoint was reached in 83 people. Patients with bilateral vessel-outlining CACs had a higher annual risk of vascular events (7.0%) than those with other CAC shapes (4.4%) and the controls (2.6%) (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, bilateral vessel-outlining CACs (hazard ratio: 2.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.1–4.5) were independent risk markers for the endpoint. Conclusions Findings of bilateral vessel-outlining CACs in PRs are independent risk markers for future vascular events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Garoff
- Department of Odontology/Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Jan Ahlqvist
- Department of Odontology/Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Linda-Tereza Edin
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sofia Jensen
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eva Levring Jäghagen
- Department of Odontology/Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Petäjäniemi
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Per Wester
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elias Johansson
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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15
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Holden RM, Hétu MF, Li TY, Ward E, Couture LE, Herr JE, Christilaw E, Adams MA, Johri AM. The Heart and Kidney: Abnormal Phosphate Homeostasis Is Associated With Atherosclerosis. J Endocr Soc 2018; 3:159-170. [PMID: 30620003 PMCID: PMC6316987 DOI: 10.1210/js.2018-00311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Context Phosphate has gained recognition as a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes, potentially due to accelerated vascular calcification. Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) is a counter-regulatory hormone that increases renal phosphate excretion to maintain normal levels. Objective The purpose of the study was to determine the association of phosphate and FGF-23 to atherosclerosis. Design and Setting A prospective cohort study (n = 204) of outpatients referred for coronary angiography over of a 1-year recruitment period at the Kingston General Hospital. Intervention Blood was collected, and a focused carotid ultrasound was performed. Main Outcome Measure Degree of angiographic coronary artery disease was scored. Carotid maximum plaque height, total area, grayscale median, and tissue pixel distribution were measured. Plasma phosphate was assessed by mineral assay and FGF-23 by ELISA. Results Carotid plaque burden [total plaque area (TPA)] was associated with higher levels of phosphate (TPA, r = 0.20, P < 0.01) and FGF-23 (r = 0.19, P < 0.01). FGF-23 was associated with increased plaque % calcium-like tissue. Participants with no coronary artery disease had significantly lower phosphate levels. Phosphate was associated with higher grayscale median (GSM) in male subjects but with lower GSM in female subjects. FGF-23 was associated with increased plaque % fat in male subjects but increased plaque % calcium in female subjects. Conclusions Phosphate was independently associated with the severity of atherosclerosis in terms of plaque burden and composition. FGF-23 was associated with plaque calcification. These findings suggest that abnormal phosphate homeostasis may play an under-recognized but potentially modifiable role in cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Holden
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie-France Hétu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Imaging Network at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Terry Y Li
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emilie Ward
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura E Couture
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julia E Herr
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Imaging Network at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erin Christilaw
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael A Adams
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amer M Johri
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Imaging Network at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Pereira T, Betriu A, Alves R. Non-invasive imaging techniques and assessment of carotid vasa vasorum neovascularization: Promises and pitfalls. Trends Cardiovasc Med 2018; 29:71-80. [PMID: 29970286 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcm.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Carotid adventitia vasa vasorum neovascularization (VVn) is associated with the initial stages of arteriosclerosis and with the formation of unstable plaque. However, techniques to accurately quantify that neovascularization in a standard, fast, non-invasive, and efficient way are still lacking. The development of such techniques holds the promise of enabling wide, inexpensive, and safe screening programs that could stratify patients and help in personalized preventive cardiovascular medicine. In this paper, we review the recent scientific literature pertaining to imaging techniques that could set the stage for the development of standard methods for quantitative assessment of atherosclerotic plaque and carotid VVn. We present and discuss the alternative imaging techniques being used in clinical practice and we review the computational developments that are contributing to speed up image analysis and interpretation. We conclude that one of the greatest upcoming challenges will be the use of machine learning techniques to develop automated methods that assist in the interpretation of images to stratify patients according to their risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Pereira
- Institute for Biomedical Research in Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, University of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - A Betriu
- Unit for the Detection and Treatment of Atherothrombotic Diseases, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova de Lleida, Catalonia, Spain; Vascular and Renal Translational Research Group - IRBLleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - R Alves
- Institute for Biomedical Research in Lleida Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, University of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
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17
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Moreira RCR. Tratamento invasivo da estenose assintomática da carótida extracraniana. Uma abordagem conceitual. J Vasc Bras 2018; 17:101-103. [PMID: 30377417 PMCID: PMC6205706 DOI: 10.1590/1677-5449.170201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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18
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Saba L, Banchhor SK, Araki T, Viskovic K, Londhe ND, Laird JR, Suri HS, Suri JS. Intra- and inter-operator reproducibility of automated cloud-based carotid lumen diameter ultrasound measurement. Indian Heart J 2018; 70:649-664. [PMID: 30392503 PMCID: PMC6205023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ihj.2018.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Common carotid artery lumen diameter (LD) ultrasound measurement systems are either manual or semi-automated and lack reproducibility and variability studies. This pilot study presents an automated and cloud-based LD measurements software system (AtheroCloud) and evaluates its: (i) intra/inter-operator reproducibility and (ii) intra/inter-observer variability. METHODS 100 patients (83M, mean age: 68±11years), IRB approved, consisted of L/R CCA artery (200 ultrasound images), acquired using a 7.5-MHz linear transducer. The intra/inter-operator reproducibility was verified using three operator's readings. Near-wall and far carotid wall borders were manually traced by two observers for intra/inter-observer variability analysis. RESULTS The mean coefficient of correlation (CC) for intra- and inter-operator reproducibility between all the three automated reading pairs were: 0.99 (P<0.0001) and 0.97 (P<0.0001), respectively. The mean CC for intra- and inter-observer variability between both the manual reading pairs were 0.98 (P<0.0001) and 0.98 (P<0.0001), respectively. The Figure-of-Merit between the mean of the three automated readings against the four manuals were 98.32%, 99.50%, 98.94% and 98.49%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The AtheroCloud LD measurement system showed high intra/inter-operator reproducibility hence can be adapted for vascular screening mode or pharmaceutical clinical trial mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Saba
- Department of Radiology, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sumit K Banchhor
- Department of Electrical Engineering, NIT Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Tadashi Araki
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Klaudija Viskovic
- Department of Radiology and Ultrasound, University Hospital for Infectious Disease, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Narendra D Londhe
- Department of Electrical Engineering, NIT Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - John R Laird
- UC Davis Vascular Centre, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Harman S Suri
- Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPointÔ, Roseville, CA, USA, USA
| | - Jasjit S Suri
- Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPointÔ, Roseville, CA, USA, USA; Point-of-Care Devices, Global Biomedical Technologies, Inc., Roseville, CA, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Idaho (Affl.), ID, USA.
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Poree J, Chayer B, Soulez G, Ohayon J, Cloutier G. Noninvasive Vascular Modulography Method for Imaging the Local Elasticity of Atherosclerotic Plaques: Simulation and In Vitro Vessel Phantom Study. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2017; 64:1805-1817. [PMID: 28961110 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2017.2757763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical and morphological characterization of atherosclerotic lesions in carotid arteries remains an essential step for the evaluation of rupture prone plaques and the prevention of strokes. In this paper, we propose a noninvasive vascular imaging modulography (NIV-iMod) method, which is capable of reconstructing a heterogeneous Young's modulus distribution of a carotid plaque from the Von Mises strain elastogram. Elastograms were computed with noninvasive ultrasound images using the Lagrangian speckle model estimator and a dynamic segmentation-optimization procedure to highlight mechanical heterogeneities. This methodology, based on continuum mechanics, was validated in silico with finite-element model strain fields and ultrasound simulations, and in vitro with polyvinyl alcohol cryogel phantoms based on magnetic resonance imaging geometries of carotid plaques. In silico, our results show that the NiV-iMod method: 1) successfully detected and quantified necrotic core inclusions with high positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity value (SV) of 81±10% and 91±6%; 2) quantified Young's moduli of necrotic cores, fibrous tissues, and calcium inclusions with mean values of 32±23, 515±30, and 3160±218 kPa (ground true values are 10, 600, and 5000 kPa); and 3) overestimated the cap thickness by . In vitro, the PPV and SV for detecting soft inclusions were 60±21% and 88±9%, and Young's modulus mean values of mimicking lipid, fibrosis, and calcium were 34±19, 193±14, and 649±118 kPa (ground true values are 25±3, 182±21, and 757±87 kPa).
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20
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Cai Y, He L, Yuan C, Chen H, Zhang Q, Li R, Li C, Zhao X. Atherosclerotic plaque features and distribution in bilateral carotid arteries of asymptomatic elderly population: A 3D multicontrast MR vessel wall imaging study. Eur J Radiol 2017; 96:6-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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21
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Saba L, Banchhor SK, Londhe ND, Araki T, Laird JR, Gupta A, Nicolaides A, Suri JS. Web-based accurate measurements of carotid lumen diameter and stenosis severity: An ultrasound-based clinical tool for stroke risk assessment during multicenter clinical trials. Comput Biol Med 2017; 91:306-317. [PMID: 29107894 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2017.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This pilot study presents a completely automated, novel, smart, cloud-based, point-of-care system for (a) carotid lumen diameter (LD); (b) stenosis severity index (SSI) and (c) total lumen area (TLA) measurement using B-mode ultrasound. The proposed system was (i) validated against manual reading taken by the Neurologist and (ii) benchmarked against the commercially available system. METHOD One hundred patients (73 M/27 F, mean age: 68 ± 11 years), institutional review board approved, written informed consent, consisted of left/right common carotid artery (200 ultrasound scans) were acquired using a 7.5-MHz linear transducer. RESULTS The measured mean LD for left and right carotids were (in mm): (i) for proposed system (6.49 ± 1.77, 6.66 ± 1.70); and (ii) for manual (6.29 ± 1.79, 6.45 ± 1.63), respectively and coefficient of correlation between cloud-based automated against manual were 0.98 (P < 0.0001) and 0.99 (P < 0.0001), respectively. The corresponding TLA error, Precision-of-Merit, and Figure-of-Merit when measured against the manual were: 4.56 ± 3.54%, 96.18 ± 3.21%, and 96.85%, respectively. The AUC for the receiving operating characteristics for the cloud-based system was: 1.0. Four statistical tests such as: Two-tailed z-test, Mann-Whitney test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) and one-way ANOVA were performed to demonstrate consistency and reliability. CONCLUSIONS The proposed system is reliable, accurate, fast, completely automated, anytime-anywhere solution for multi-center clinical trials and routine vascular screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Saba
- Department of Radiology, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sumit K Banchhor
- Department of Electrical Engineering, NIT Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Narendra D Londhe
- Department of Electrical Engineering, NIT Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Tadashi Araki
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Ajay Gupta
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Nicolaides
- Vascular Screening and Diagnostic Centre, London, England, United Kingdom; Vascular Diagnostic Centre, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Jasjit S Suri
- Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPoint™, Roseville, CA, USA; Point-of-Care Devices, Global Biomedical Technologies, Inc., Roseville, CA, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Idaho (Aff.), ID, USA.
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22
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Carotid Artery Plaque Vulnerability Assessment Using Noninvasive Ultrasound Elastography: Validation With MRI. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2017. [PMID: 28639927 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.16.17176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Vulnerable and nonvulnerable carotid artery plaques have different tissue morphology and composition that may affect plaque biomechanics. The objective of this study is to evaluate plaque vulnerability with the use of ultrasound noninvasive vascular elastography (NIVE). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-one patients (mean [± SD] age, 69 ± 7 years) with stenosis of the internal carotid artery of 50% or greater were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Elastography parameters quantifying axial strain, shear strain, and translation motion were used to characterize carotid artery plaques as nonvulnerable, neovascularized, and vulnerable. Maximum axial strain, cumulated axial strain, mean shear strain, cumulated shear strain, cumulated axial translation, and cumulated lateral translations were measured. Cumulated measurements were summed over a cardiac cycle. The ratio of cumulated axial strain to cumulated axial translation was also evaluated. The reference method used to characterize plaques was high-resolution MRI. RESULTS According to MRI, seven plaques were vulnerable, 12 were nonvulnerable without neovascularity, and 12 were nonvulnerable with neovascularity (a precursor of vulnerability). The two parameters cumulated axial translation and the ratio of cumulated axial strain to cumulated axial translation could discriminate between nonvulnerable plaques and vulnerable plaques or determine the presence of neovascularity in nonvulnerable plaques (which was also possible with the mean shear strain parameter). All parameters differed between the non-vulnerable plaque group and the group that combined vulnerable plaques and plaques with neovascularity. The most discriminating parameter for the detection of vulnerable neovascularized plaques was the ratio of cumulated axial strain to cumulated axial translation (expressed as percentage per millimeter) (mean ratio, 39.30%/mm ± 12.80%/mm for nonvulnerable plaques without neovascularity vs 63.79%/mm ± 17.59%/mm for vulnerable plaques and nonvulnerable plaques with neovascularity, p = 0.002), giving an AUC value of 0.886. CONCLUSION The imaging parameters cumulated axial translation and the ratio of cumulated axial strain to cumulated axial translation, as computed using NIVE, were able to discriminate vulnerable carotid artery plaques characterized by MRI from nonvulnerable carotid artery plaques. Consideration of neovascularized plaques improved the performance of NIVE. NIVE may be a valuable alternative to MRI for carotid artery plaque assessment.
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23
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Saba L, Jain PK, Suri HS, Ikeda N, Araki T, Singh BK, Nicolaides A, Shafique S, Gupta A, Laird JR, Suri JS. Plaque Tissue Morphology-Based Stroke Risk Stratification Using Carotid Ultrasound: A Polling-Based PCA Learning Paradigm. J Med Syst 2017; 41:98. [PMID: 28501967 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-017-0745-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Severe atherosclerosis disease in carotid arteries causes stenosis which in turn leads to stroke. Machine learning systems have been previously developed for plaque wall risk assessment using morphology-based characterization. The fundamental assumption in such systems is the extraction of the grayscale features of the plaque region. Even though these systems have the ability to perform risk stratification, they lack the ability to achieve higher performance due their inability to select and retain dominant features. This paper introduces a polling-based principal component analysis (PCA) strategy embedded in the machine learning framework to select and retain dominant features, resulting in superior performance. This leads to more stability and reliability. The automated system uses offline image data along with the ground truth labels to generate the parameters, which are then used to transform the online grayscale features to predict the risk of stroke. A set of sixteen grayscale plaque features is computed. Utilizing the cross-validation protocol (K = 10), and the PCA cutoff of 0.995, the machine learning system is able to achieve an accuracy of 98.55 and 98.83%corresponding to the carotidfar wall and near wall plaques, respectively. The corresponding reliability of the system was 94.56 and 95.63%, respectively. The automated system was validated against the manual risk assessment system and the precision of merit for same cross-validation settings and PCA cutoffs are 98.28 and 93.92%for the far and the near wall, respectively.PCA-embedded morphology-based plaque characterization shows a powerful strategy for risk assessment and can be adapted in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Saba
- Department of Radiology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pankaj K Jain
- Point-of-Care Devices, Global Biomedical Technologies, Inc., Roseville, CA, USA
| | - Harman S Suri
- Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPoint™, Roseville, CA, USA
| | - Nobutaka Ikeda
- Cardiovascular Medicine, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Araki
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bikesh K Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NIT Raipur, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Andrew Nicolaides
- Vascular Screening and Diagnostic Centre, London, England, UK.,Vascular Diagnostic Centre, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Shoaib Shafique
- CorVasc Vascular Laboratory, 8433 Harcourt Rd #100, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ajay Gupta
- Brain and Mind Research Institute and Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - John R Laird
- UC Davis Vascular Centre, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jasjit S Suri
- Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPoint™, Roseville, CA, USA. .,Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Idaho (Affl.), Pocatello, ID, USA.
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24
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Early Detection System of Vascular Disease and Its Application Prospect. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:1723485. [PMID: 28042567 PMCID: PMC5155081 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1723485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Markers of imaging, structure, and function reflecting vascular damage, integrating a long time accumulation effect of traditional and unrecognized cardiovascular risk factors, can be regarded as surrogate endpoints of target organ damage before the occurrence of clinical events. Prevention of cardiovascular disease requires risk stratification and treatment of traditional risk factors, such as smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. However, traditional risk stratification is not sufficient to provide accurate assessment of future cardiovascular events. Therefore, vascular injury related parameters obtained by ultrasound or other noninvasive devices, as a surrogate parameter of subclinical cardiovascular disease, can improve cardiovascular risk assessment and optimize the preventive treatment strategy. Thus, we will summarize the research progress and clinical application of early assessment technology of vascular diseases in the present review.
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25
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Liu Y, Hua Y, Feng W, Ovbiagele B. Multimodality ultrasound imaging in stroke: current concepts and future focus. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2016; 14:1325-1333. [PMID: 27785921 DOI: 10.1080/14779072.2016.1254043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Ultrasound is a real-time imaging technique that is inexpensive, portable, non-invasive, and safe, with high diagnostic accuracy. Ultrasonic imaging can provide useful direct and indirect information about the characteristics of various vessels in the both intracranial and extracranial segments. Areas covered: In this review, we will discuss multimodal applications of ultrasonic imaging in stroke prevention and management including checking carotid intima-media thickness progression, evaluating the plaque morphology, calibrating the degree of stenosis, detecting the presence of patent foramen ovale, monitoring microembolization, and screening for stroke risk in patients with sickle cell disease. We present the conventional ultrasonography as well as the novel ultrasound techniques including gray scale median, 3-dementional ultrasound, elastography, intravascular ultrasound, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Expert commentary: Ultrasonography is a non-invasive, low-cost, safe, fast, and real-time imaging technology for stroke risk assessment. Each modality has its own advantage as well as limitation. Future research should be focused on developing new technologies that can improve the quality of imaging and accuracy of diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumei Liu
- a Department of Vascular Ultrasound , Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing , China.,b Department of Neurology, MUSC Stroke Center , Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , USA
| | - Yang Hua
- a Department of Vascular Ultrasound , Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing , China
| | - Wuwei Feng
- b Department of Neurology, MUSC Stroke Center , Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , USA
| | - Bruce Ovbiagele
- b Department of Neurology, MUSC Stroke Center , Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , USA
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26
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Mahmood B, Ewertsen C, Carlsen J, Nielsen MB. Ultrasound Vascular Elastography as a Tool for Assessing Atherosclerotic Plaques - A Systematic Literature Review. Ultrasound Int Open 2016; 2:E106-E112. [PMID: 27896334 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-115564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a widespread disease that accounts for nearly 3-quarters of deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Ultrasound elastography might be able to reliably identify characteristics associated with vulnerable plaques. There is a need for the evaluation of elastography and its ability to distinguish between vulnerable and stable plaques. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on vascular elastography. A systematic search of the available literature for studies using elastography for assessing atherosclerotic plaques was conducted using the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. A standardized template was used to extract relevant data following the PRISMA 2009 checklist. 20 articles were included in this paper. The studies were heterogeneous. All studies reported that elastography was a feasible technique and provided additional information compared to B-mode ultrasound alone. Most studies reported higher strain values for vulnerable plaques. Ultrasound elastography has potential as a clinical tool in the assessment of atherosclerotic plaques. Elastography is able to distinguish between different plaque types, but there is considerable methodological variation between studies. There is a need for larger studies in a clinical setting to determine the full potential of elastography.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Mahmood
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - C Ewertsen
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - J Carlsen
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - M B Nielsen
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
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27
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Kaczyńska A, Guzdek K, Derszniak K, Karewicz A, Lewandowska-Łańcucka J, Mateuszuk Ł, Skórka T, Banasik T, Jasiński K, Kapusta C, Chlopicki S, Nowakowska M. Novel nanostructural contrast for magnetic resonance imaging of endothelial inflammation: targeting SPIONs to vascular endothelium. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra10994b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to develop superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) targeted to the areas of vascular endothelium changed in the initial inflammation process, a first step of numerous cardiovascular diseases.
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28
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Porée J, Garcia D, Chayer B, Ohayon J, Cloutier G. Noninvasive Vascular Elastography With Plane Strain Incompressibility Assumption Using Ultrafast Coherent Compound Plane Wave Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2015; 34:2618-2631. [PMID: 26625341 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2015.2450992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Plane strain tensor estimation using non-invasive vascular ultrasound elastography (NIVE) can be difficult to achieve using conventional focus beamforming due to limited lateral resolution and frame rate. Recent developments in compound plane wave (CPW) imaging have led to high speed and high resolution imaging. In this study, we present the performance of NIVE using coherent CPW. We show the impact of CPW beamforming on strain estimates compared to conventional focus sequences. To overcome the inherent variability of lateral strains, associated with the low lateral resolution of linear array transducers, we use the plane strain incompressibility to constrain the estimator. Taking advantage of the approximate tenfold increase in frame rate of CPW compared with conventional focus imaging, we introduce a time-ensemble estimation approach to further improve the elastogram quality. By combining CPW imaging with the constrained Lagrangian speckle model estimator, we observe an increase in elastography quality (∼ 10 dB both in signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios) over a wide range of applied strains (0.02 to 3.2%).
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29
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Choi YJ, Jung SC, Lee DH. Vessel Wall Imaging of the Intracranial and Cervical Carotid Arteries. J Stroke 2015; 17:238-55. [PMID: 26437991 PMCID: PMC4635720 DOI: 10.5853/jos.2015.17.3.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Vessel wall imaging can depict the morphologies of atherosclerotic plaques, arterial walls, and surrounding structures in the intracranial and cervical carotid arteries beyond the simple luminal changes that can be observed with traditional luminal evaluation. Differentiating vulnerable from stable plaques and characterizing atherosclerotic plaques are vital parts of the early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of stroke and the neurological adverse effects of atherosclerosis. Various techniques for vessel wall imaging have been developed and introduced to differentiate and analyze atherosclerotic plaques in the cervical carotid artery. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) is the most important and popular vessel wall imaging technique for directly evaluating the vascular wall and intracranial artery disease. Intracranial artery atherosclerosis, dissection, moyamoya disease, vasculitis, and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome can also be diagnosed and differentiated by using HR-MRI. Here, we review the radiologic features of intracranial artery disease and cervical carotid artery atherosclerosis on HR-MRI and various other vessel wall imaging techniques (e.g., ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography).
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Jun Choi
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Chai Jung
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Deok Hee Lee
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
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30
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Zhang Q, Li C, Zhou M, Liao Y, Huang C, Shi J, Wang Y, Wang W. Quantification of carotid plaque elasticity and intraplaque neovascularization using contrast-enhanced ultrasound and image registration-based elastography. ULTRASONICS 2015; 62:253-262. [PMID: 26074459 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2015.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
It is valuable for evaluation of carotid plaque vulnerability to investigate the relation between intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) and plaque elasticity. The contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been used in IPN measurement, but it cannot assess plaque elasticity. The aim of this study was to develop an ultrasound elastography technique based on registration of CEUS sequential images and to use this technique for direct comparison between IPN and plaque elasticity. We employed a nonrigid image registration method using the free-form deformation model to register a pair of clinical CEUS images at systole and diastole. The 2D displacement field of the plaque was estimated and then utilized to calculate the axial and lateral strain distributions within the plaque, from which quantitative strain parameters were obtained. The IPN was measured semiquantitatively with visual assessment and quantitatively with the time-intensity curve analysis and the analysis of contrast agent spatial distributions. Histopathology with CD34 staining for quantification of microvessel density (MVD) was performed on plaques excised by carotid endarterectomy. Simulation experiments showed that the mean absolute error and the root mean squared error of the displacement estimation were 0.325±0.180 pixel (7.2%±3.8%) and 0.556±0.284 pixel (12.3%±6.1%), respectively, demonstrating high accuracy of the elastography technique. Thirty-eight plaques in 29 patients met the inclusion criteria for the elastography and image analysis, where ten plaques underwent endarterectomy. The 95th percentile (A95) and standard deviation (Asd) of the axial strains exhibited significant differences between the low and high grades of IPN visually assessed (p<0.01). A95 (R=0.579; p<0.001) and Asd (R=0.609; p<0.001) were correlated with the enhanced intensity of plaque, and also correlated with the MVD (R=0.793 and 0.817, respectively; p<0.01), suggesting that plaque became softer and more elastically heterogeneous as IPN increased. These findings provide direct and quantitative evidence for the associations between plaque strains and IPN and might be helpful for evaluation of carotid plaque vulnerability and for plaque risk stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, 200444 Shanghai, China.
| | - Chaolun Li
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China.
| | - Moli Zhou
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, 200444 Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Liao
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, 200444 Shanghai, China
| | - Chunchun Huang
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, 200444 Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Shi
- School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, 200444 Shanghai, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, 200433 Shanghai, China.
| | - Wenping Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China.
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31
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Rafati M, Arabfard M, Rafati Rahimzadeh M, Voshtani H, Moladoust H. A comparative study of three speckle reducing methods for intima-media thickness ultrasound images. IRANIAN RED CRESCENT MEDICAL JOURNAL 2015; 17:e25013. [PMID: 25838938 PMCID: PMC4376986 DOI: 10.5812/ircmj.25013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ultrasonic evaluation of intima-media thickness (IMT) is an early marker of assessing the development of atherosclerosis and determining cardiovascular risk. To attain the best possible diagnosis, it is essential that medical images be clear, sharp and without noise and artifacts. OBJECTIVES Comparison of speckle reducing anisotropic diffusion (SRAD), discrete (DTD) and continuum topological derivative (CTD) on B-mode ultrasound images of common carotid and brachial arteries throughout the cardiac cycle. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a cross-sectional design, an examination was performed on forty-two human subjects with a mean age of 44 ± 6 years from April 2013 to June 2013. This study was approved by the ethics committees of Kashan University of Medical Sciences and Beheshti Hospital. An ultrasonic examination of common carotid and brachial arteries of forty-two human subjects was performed. The program was designed in MATLAB software to extract consecutive B-mode images and apply region of interest (ROI) on the IMT of the common carotid and brachial arteries. Then, three different noise reduction filters with the Canny edge detection were used in ROI separately. Finally, the program measured the image quality metrics. RESULTS According to values of eleven different image quality metrics (mentioned in the main text), there was a significant difference between CTD, DTD and SRAD filters with the Canny edge detection status in the common carotid and brachial arteries throughout the cardiac cycle (all P values < 0.001). For example, peak signal to noise ratios (PSNR) using CTD, DTD and SRAD filters were 95.43 ± 0.64, 88.86 ± 0.82 and 73.02 ± 0.20 in common carotid and 96.39 ± 1.25, 92.58 ± 0.11 and 88.27 ± 0.63 in brachial arteries, respectively (both P values < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS By measuring image quality metrics, this study showed that DTD and CTD filters with the Canny edge detection respectively, are better than SRAD filter with the Canny detection for speckle suppression and details preservation in both arteries in the ultrasound images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehravar Rafati
- Department of Medical Physic and Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran
| | - Masoud Arabfard
- Department of Basic Sciences, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish Island, IR Iran
| | | | - Hasan Voshtani
- Department of Cardiology, Heshmat Cardiovascular Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran
- Corresponding Author: Hasan Voshtani, Department of Cardiology, Heshmat Cardiovascular Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran. Tel: +98-1333663070, Fax: +98-1316668718, E-mail:
| | - Hassan Moladoust
- Department of Cardiology, Heshmat Cardiovascular Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran
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