title: [Preliminary study of the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound with high-frequency linear-array transducer in the diagnosis of carotid stenosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound with high-frequency linear-array transducer in the diagnosis of carotid stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The carotid arteries of 31 patients was examined with color Doppler ultrasound (CDU), harmonic contrast ultrasound (HCU) and digital subtractive angiography (DSA), respectively. The result of DSA was used as the golden standard for evaluating the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of CDU and HCU in the diagnosis of carotid stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Satisfactory images of 62 carotid arteries were obtained from the patients using HCU with high-frequency linear-array transducer. After intravenous injection of contrast agent, densely dotted hyperechogenic signals were found in the vascular lumen, with stronger intensity than that of the vascular walls. The filling defect areas in the lumen indicated vascular stenosis. Thirty carotid stenoses were detected by DSA, and 25 by CDU. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of CDU was 83.3%, 82.0% and 84.9%, respectively. HCU identified 29 carotid stenoses with accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 96.7%, 96.7% and 97.0%, respectively, significantly higher than those of CDU (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCU with high frequency linear-array transducer has better the accuracy than CDU and may serve as a good alternative for diagnosis of carotid stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Xinyang Central Hospital, Xinyang 464000, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Feng-lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014159:Transducers; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*