title: 3D ultrasound measurement of atherosclerotic plaque volume in carotid arteries.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to measure the volume of atherosclerotic plaques using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging of the carotid arteries and to reduce intra- and interexaminer variabilities in follow-up scans of atherosclerotic plaques. The noninvasive quantification of human atherosclerosis by 3D ultrasound was performed by a 3D computer-based image reconstruction (3D ultrasound). The linear movements of the transducer were driven by a motor triggered by ECG. The method included an option to change angle insonation and a correction of skin contact adaptation. Repeated measurements were performed in a weekly interval in 60 patients. Three evaluation procedures (manual tracing, threshold procedure, watershed algorithm) were developed. Intraexaminer mean variability varied between 2.8 (watershed algorithm) and 4.4% (threshold procedure). Interexaminer mean variability ranged from 3.8 (manual tracing) to 6.8% (threshold procedure), follow-up measurements from 5.3 (watershed algorithm) to 8.9% (threshold procedure). The newly developed 3D computer-based image reconstruction allows repeated quantification of moderate atherosclerosis with a low variability and will be applied in prospective studies of the regression or progression of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Universitätsklinik Essen, FRG.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delcker
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Diener
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003199:Computer Systems; D004453:Echoencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D014159:Transducers