title: Correlation of carotid B-mode scanning with endarterectomy findings in Japanese patients.
abstract: In this study, 13 Japanese patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy with en bloc method were prospectively evaluated by high-resolution B-mode scanning. B-mode imaging was carried out 1-2 days before operation. The most suitable consecutive longitudinal planes of the carotid bifurcation were photographed (5-8 planes). The echogain was gradually changed from a lower to a higher intensity during B-mode scanning to identify the echogenicity of the atheromatous plaques. Three-dimensional reconstructions were made of the carotid plaques before performing carotid endarterectomy, and the author investigated the correlations between the echo characteristics and the histology of the resected plaques. The echogenicity of all atheromatous plaques, except for those with calcification, was lower than that of the normal medial layer of the vessel wall. The consecutive B-mode image data correlated well with the histological findings of the resected plaques in this study. In 2 out of 13 cases, it was found to be very difficult to distinguish an ulcerated plaque from a region of fresh intraplaque hemorrhage. High-resolution B-mode scanning was found to be a very useful and reliable method for identifying the detailed structure of atheromatous plaques in the cervical carotid artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takase
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000601:surgery; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography