Carotid lesions detected by B-mode ultrasonography in Takayasu's arteritis: "macaroni sign" as an indicator of the disease.
Twenty-three patients were studied to evaluate the clinical usefulness of high resolution B-mode ultrasonography in the detection of carotid lesions in patients with Takayasu's arteritis. In each patient the carotid arteries were examined using both B-mode ultrasonography (midfrequency of 7.5 MHz) and contrast angiography. In 19 of 23 patients, B-mode ultrasonography clearly demonstrated the characteristic circumferential arterial wall thickening of either one or both sides of the common carotid arteries as a macaroni-like, diffusely thickened intima-media complex. Conversely, contrast angiography demonstrated carotid lesions in only 13 of 23 patients. These results clearly show that B-mode ultrasonography is quite sensitive and superior in the detection of the characteristic thick intima-media complex of the common carotid artery in patients with Takayasu's arteritis, when compared with contrast angiography that is usually used for the definitive diagnosis of this disease.
Maeda
H
H
First Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Handa
N
N
Matsumoto
M
M
Hougaku
H
H
Ogawa
S
S
Oku
N
N
Itoh
T
T
Moriwaki
H
H
Yoneda
S
S
Kimura
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014741:Video Recording