Key result
A computer-assisted technique for measuring carotid plaque area from B-mode ultrasonography demonstrated high reproducibility, with correlation coefficients of 0.93 and 0.96 (P < 0.0001).
Why the study?
Does a computer-assisted sonography technique provide reproducible measurements of carotid plaque area in patients with moderate to severe atherosclerotic lesions?
Observational (n=8)
Does a computer-assisted sonography technique provide reproducible measurements of carotid plaque area in patients with moderate to severe atherosclerotic lesions?
Effect estimate: Correlation coefficients 0.93 and 0.96
p-value: p=< 0.0001
A computer-assisted B-mode ultrasonography technique demonstrates high reproducibility for measuring carotid plaque area, offering a feasible method for accurate follow-up of atherosclerotic lesions.
May enhance longitudinal carotid plaque quantification; leaves open validation and clinical impact in prospective studies.
One reason why quantifying plaque regression is difficult is the poor spatial control of the shooting angle whether in angiography or ultrasonography techniques. A computer-assisted technique has been developed to assess absolute carotid plaque dimensions from B-mode ultrasonography, with enhanced capability of comparative examinations at large time intervals. Plaque area is measured from arterial lumen to adventitia with a real-time tissular detection program. Further measurements on the same patient are made using an echo-specific mask automatically generated by the computer from the original section. For an average sonographer, the manipulation takes no more than ten minutes for each view. In order to determine the reproducibility of this technique, a repeated measurement study (T0, T1, T2) was carried out on 8 patients with moderate to severe atherosclerotic lesions at carotid localizations. The plaque areas ranged from 52.7 to 202.3 mm2 (120.7 +/- 61). The coefficients of correlation between the measurements (T0-T1, T0-T2) were respectively 0.93 and 0.96 (P < 0.0001). The mean coefficient of variation (+/- SD) was 9.8% +/- 4.8. This study shows the feasibility of an accurate follow-up for atherosclerotic patients, with a two-dimensional plaque quantification, closer to the reality of the evolution of the pathology than the usual scoring system.
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Massonneau et al. (1995) conducted an observational in Moderate to severe atherosclerotic lesions at carotid localizations (n=8). Computer-assisted technique for carotid plaque area measurement from B-mode ultrasonography was evaluated on Reproducibility of plaque area measurement (coefficients of correlation between repeated measurements) (Correlation coefficients 0.93 and 0.96, p=< 0.0001). A computer-assisted technique for measuring carotid plaque area from B-mode ultrasonography demonstrated high reproducibility, with correlation coefficients of 0.93 and 0.96 (P < 0.0001).
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