Key result
Carotid plaques in patients with a history of stroke exhibited significantly lower proximal (32.27 vs 42.86 kPa), mid, and distal stiffness compared to patients without a history of stroke.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to evaluate shear-wave elastography (SWE) in assessing carotid plaque vulnerability.
Does shear-wave elastography (SWE) identify vulnerable carotid plaques by measuring stiffness in patients with a history of stroke compared to those without?
Observational (n=60)
No
Does shear-wave elastography (SWE) identify vulnerable carotid plaques by measuring stiffness in patients with a history of stroke compared to those without?
Shear-wave elastography is a noninvasive imaging technique that can identify vulnerable carotid plaques by demonstrating lower stiffness values associated with prior stroke.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Lower plaque stiffness on SWE was associated with prior stroke; leaves open its prospective value for identifying vulnerable plaques.
Objectives: This prospective observational, comparative study was aimed at assessing our results of shear-wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating carotid plaque vulnerability. Subjects and Methods: Sixty patients were prospectively studied over 2 years in a tertiary hospital setting and divided into two groups of 30 each. The first group consisted of patients with atherosclerotic plaques with a history of stroke, whereas the second group consisted of 30 patients with atherosclerotic plaques without stroke. Carotid plaques in both groups were studied for plaque length, morphology, and SWE measurements. All data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 22, IBM SPSS statistics). Results: Both groups showed no statistical difference with respect to comorbidities, addictions, or anthropometry. The internal carotid artery was involved in 24 (80%) and 13 (43.33%) patients in Groups A and B, respectively. Mean length and width of the plaque were more in Group A patients than that of Group B patients on both right and left sides. Proximal stiffness (kpa) was 32.27 and 42.86; mid stiffness was 32.92 and 45.77, while distal stiffness was 26.57 and 38.15 in Groups A and B, respectively. The proximal, mid, and distal stiffness values of the plaque in Group A were less on stroke side as compared to nonstroke side with a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: SWE is a noninvasive, reproducible, and reliable imaging technique which could be used as a tool for the early detection of vulnerable carotid artery plaques.
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Sivasankar et al. (2019) conducted an observational in Carotid plaque vulnerability (n=60). History of stroke vs. No history of stroke was evaluated on Carotid plaque stiffness (proximal, mid, and distal) measured by shear-wave elastography. Carotid plaques in patients with a history of stroke exhibited significantly lower proximal (32.27 vs 42.86 kPa), mid, and distal stiffness compared to patients without a history of stroke.
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