Enhanced carotid plaque on contrast-enhanced ultrasound is associated with vulnerable carotid plaque

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24592149
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cerebral neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Kawasaki Medical School
• Principal Investigator: NORIKO MATSUMOTO 川崎医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (90388968)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KIMURA Kazumi 日本医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (00388927) ; INOUE Takeshi 川崎医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (80388941) ; UNO Masaaki 川崎医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (90232884) ; IGUCHI Yasuyuki 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (30287198)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 頸動脈プラーク / 頸部血管エコー / 超音波造影剤 / 内頚動脈内膜剥離術 / 病理学的所見 / 新生血管 / 不安定プラーク / 造影頸部血管エコー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of the present study was to investigate the histopathologic findings of enhanced carotid plaque on CEUS. CEUS revealed enhanced plaque in 45 (61.1%) of 54 patients enrolled in the study. Enhanced plaque was classified into two subgroups: a spotty pattern as moving bright spots within plaque; and a linear pattern, where enhanced lesions appeared as a line from intima into plaque. The amount of neovascularization was larger in enhanced than in non-enhanced plaque (6.31±6.83/2.5mm2 vs. 1.37±1.55/2.5mm2, P=0.002). Furthermore, the enhanced group had more macrophage aggregation (8.16±8.97% vs. 4.42±1.48%, P=0.011) compared with the non-enhanced group. 86.4% of the enhanced plaques with a linear pattern had fibrous cap rupture, but this was observed in only 20% of those with a spotty pattern (P<0.0001). Enhanced plaque on CEUS should become a new surrogate marker of vulnerable carotid plaque.

Free Research Field

脳卒中学