title: The assessment of carotid atherosclerosis using a new multipurpose ultrasound probe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multipurpose ultrasound probes combined with ultra-mobile ultrasound instrumentation have the potential to increase the availability and use of ultrasound examinations in the assessment of atherosclerotic burden and cardiac disease. The aim of this study was to compare the agreement of a newly developed multipurpose probe to a standard linear carotid probe in detection of atherosclerosis of the precerebral arteries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 103 patients with a multipurpose probe (General Electric, G9L MPP-9 MHz) and a standard linear probe (General Electric, Vivid 7-M12L-14 MHz). Measurements included intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid arteries (CCA), carotid bifurcations (BIF), internal carotid arteries (ICA), and detection of carotid plaques and stenoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant level of agreement between the two probes for all IMT measurements with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of: left CCA .91, left BIF .68, left ICA .75, right CCA .84, right BIF .74, and right ICA .59. Agreement with regard to carotid plaque and stenosis detection had kappa values of .94 and .93.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The multipurpose probe showed agreement with a standard linear probe in detecting atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries and has therefore the potential for use in both cardiac and precerebral ultrasound examinations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Evensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Arve
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Division, Akershus University Hospital, Lorenskog. Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ole M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Ronning
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Carotid ultrasound; IMT measurements; carotid plaques; carotid stenosis; multipurpose ultrasound probes