Value of color Doppler ultrasonography in diagnosis of carotid atherosclerotic plaque in cerebral infarction patients

Background: To assess the value of color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) in diagnosing carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) in cerebral infarction (CI) patients.Materials and Methods: Totally 100 CI patients in our hospital from March 2021 to March 2023 were included in the study group (SG), and another 98 patients who received physical examination at the same time were included in the control group (CG).CDUS was performed to determine the type, distribution and total detection rate of carotid atherosclerotic plaque, and to evaluate carotid blood flow parameters, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and stenosis degree in the two groups.Results: No significant difference of plaque in the proportion of external carotid artery (ECA), internal carotid artery (ICA), common carotid artery (CCA) and carotid artery bifurcation between the two groups (P>0.05).Relative to the CG, the detection rate of each type of carotid atherosclerotic plaque in the SG was significantly higher (P=0.03 and P<0.001), peak systolic flow velocity (PSV), minimum diastolic flow velocity (EDV), and resistance index (RI) of carotid blood flow were lower, and IMT was higher in the SG (P<0.05), and the proportion of mild, moderate and severe carotid artery stenosis in the SG were higher (P<0.01 and P<0.001).Conclusion: CDUS can detect the distribution and quantity of plaques, determine the type and stability of plaques, and assess the carotid blood flow parameters and stenosis, which is valuable for the diagnosis of CAP in CI, and guides the formulation of clinical treatment plan.