TY - JOUR
T1 - Do Carotid Plaque Ulcers Heal? Potential Detection of Carotid Artery Plaque Healing by Carotid Ultrasound Imaging
AU - Simonetto, Marialaura
AU - Dharmadhikari, Sushrut
AU - Bennett, Ari
AU - Campo, Nelly
AU - Asdaghi, Negar
AU - Romano, Jose
AU - Koch, Sebastian
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Objectives: Carotid plaque ulcers confer an increased risk for stroke/ transient ischemic attacks in both symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Little is known about the healing rates of ulcers or the development of new ulcers. Carotid Duplex studies are noninvasive and easily repeatable tests to monitor progression of carotid stenosis and plaque morphology. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and healing rates of ultrasound-detected carotid plaque ulcers. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 5837 carotid Duplex studies performed in an outpatient ultrasound laboratory affiliated with the neurological department of an academic center. A total of 3215 patients underwent a first carotid ultrasound Duplex study, and 2622 follow-up studies were done. Carotid ulcer was defined as a 2 mm deep surface indentation in a carotid plaque with a well-defined back wall, as determined by multimodal ultrasound imaging techniques. Results: The prevalence of carotid plaque ulcers among the 3215 patients with a first ultrasound study was 3% (82/3215). The mean follow-up was 42 ± 30 months, and the median number of follow-up studies was 6. Among patients with ulcers, follow-up studies were available in 65/82 patients. During the follow-up period, 28/65 (43%) ulcers healed. Among all 2622 follow-up studies, 45 patients developed a new ulcer. Conclusions: Duplex-detected carotid plaque ulcer prevalence is low. The carotid ulcers healed in approximately half of patients during follow-up. Factors associated with ulcer healing and development remain poorly understood.
AB - Objectives: Carotid plaque ulcers confer an increased risk for stroke/ transient ischemic attacks in both symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Little is known about the healing rates of ulcers or the development of new ulcers. Carotid Duplex studies are noninvasive and easily repeatable tests to monitor progression of carotid stenosis and plaque morphology. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and healing rates of ultrasound-detected carotid plaque ulcers. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 5837 carotid Duplex studies performed in an outpatient ultrasound laboratory affiliated with the neurological department of an academic center. A total of 3215 patients underwent a first carotid ultrasound Duplex study, and 2622 follow-up studies were done. Carotid ulcer was defined as a 2 mm deep surface indentation in a carotid plaque with a well-defined back wall, as determined by multimodal ultrasound imaging techniques. Results: The prevalence of carotid plaque ulcers among the 3215 patients with a first ultrasound study was 3% (82/3215). The mean follow-up was 42 ± 30 months, and the median number of follow-up studies was 6. Among patients with ulcers, follow-up studies were available in 65/82 patients. During the follow-up period, 28/65 (43%) ulcers healed. Among all 2622 follow-up studies, 45 patients developed a new ulcer. Conclusions: Duplex-detected carotid plaque ulcer prevalence is low. The carotid ulcers healed in approximately half of patients during follow-up. Factors associated with ulcer healing and development remain poorly understood.
KW - carotid plaque ulcers
KW - Neurosonology
KW - ulcerated carotid plaque healing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090160429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85090160429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/jum.15472
DO - 10.1002/jum.15472
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85090160429
JO - Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine
JF - Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine
SN - 0278-4297
ER -