Key result
Shear wave elastography provides reproducible carotid plaque rigidity quantification during ventricular diastole.
Why the study?
Quantifiable variables from atherosclerotic plaques are needed to provide additional information for therapeutic decision-making.
This technical paper outlines standardized image acquisition criteria for carotid plaque shear wave elastography during ventricular diastole to guide future research in non-invasive plaque vulnerability assessment.
May support standardized protocols for non-invasive plaque assessment; leaves open prospective validation of rigidity as vulnerability marker.
In the wake of studies targeting atherosclerotic plaques and searching for quantifiable variables that contribute additional information to therapeutic decision-making, plaque assessment using Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) is emerging as a reproducible and promising alternative. We used a single Logiq S8 device (General Electric, Boston, Massachusetts, United States) with an 8.5-11MHz multifrequency linear transducer at 10MHz in longitudinal section. We considered relevant criteria for image acquisition: adequate longitudinal insonation, differentiation of the intima-media complex, delineation of proximal and distal tunica adventitia and the vascular lumen, good visualization of the atherosclerotic plaque, cardiac cycle in ventricular diastole, and absence of incongruous changes. SWE is an emerging and extremely promising method for assessment of carotid plaques that may contribute to therapeutic decision-making based on characteristics related to the atherosclerotic plaque, with inter-device and inter-examiner reproducibility.
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Filho et al. (2023) conducted a review in Extracranial carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) using an 8.5-11 MHz multifrequency linear transducer at 10 MHz in longitudinal section was evaluated on Carotid atherosclerotic plaque rigidity (stiffness) measured in kilopascals (kPa) within a circular region of interest. Shear wave elastography using a 10 MHz linear transducer in longitudinal section during ventricular diastole provides a reproducible method for quantifying carotid atherosclerotic plaque rigidity.
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