Noninvasive evaluation of the carotid plaque characteristics based on regional strain measurement using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging

目前还没有确定的方法来测量中型动脉壁特定区域的扩张性。我们尝试用超声二维斑点追踪法测量颈动脉壁的节段性应变，并探讨其与局部动脉粥样硬化病变的关系。对100例缺血性脑血管病患者的200支颈总动脉进行了研究，将颈总动脉远壁在长轴B超图像上分为5段。在每个节段测量纵向和径向峰值应变和内膜中层厚度（IMT）。1000个节段中有885个节段（88.5%）可以进行应变测量，有斑块节段（IMT>=1.2mm，-3.53+/-2.79%）的径向峰值应变比无斑块节段（-4.67+/-2.85%，p<0.0001）显著降低。二维斑点追踪成像可用于测量颈动脉粥样硬化病变的区域扩张性。

There has been no established method to measure distensibility of a specific area of medium-sized artery wall. We attempted to measure segmental strain of the carotid artery wall using ultrasonic 2-dimensional speckle tracking method and investigate the relationship to the local atherosclerotic lesions. Two-hundred carotid arteries of 100 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease were studied and the far wall of the common carotid artery in long-axis B-mode image was divided into 5 segments. In each segment, the longitudinal and radial peak strain and intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured. Strain measurements were possible in 885 of the 1000 segments (88.5%), and the radial peak strain was significantly reduced in the segments with plaque (IMT>=1.2mm, -3.53+/-2.79%) than those without (-4.67+/-2.85%, p<0.0001). Two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging may be useful to measure regional distensibility of the carotid atherosclerotic lesions.