Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
2025 European Congress of Radiology, Viyana, Avusturya, 26 Şubat 2025, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of two novel ultrasonographic modalities, vector flow imaging (VFI) and radiofrequency-based vessel quantitative stiffness (RVQS), in the assessment of carotid artery stenosis. The primary objective was to determine the most reliable parameters for detecting high-grade stenosis and investigate their potential association with plaque vulnerability and ischemic stroke.
Methods:
In this prospective single-center observational study, conducted between May 2024 and July 2024, 90 patients with ACAD underwent assessment of hemodynamic changes using both VFI and RVQS in patients with different grades of stenosis. Patients were evaluated in 3 groups according to the degree of stenosis (<50%, 50–69%, and ≥70%). Patient selection in the moderate and severe stenosis groups was based on correlation with previous CTA, DSA, or MRA images. Correlation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to evaluate diagnostic performance, regression analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between parameters and stroke.
Results:
90 patients, 50 male and 40 female, who were followed up with the diagnosis of ACAD (mean age 70.4 years ± 8.7), were included in the study. Mean wall shear stress (WSSmean) at the plaque peak level showed the highest diagnostic performance in identifying ≥70% stenosis (AUC: 0.96; at a cut-off of 2.25 Pa). WSSmean was weakly but significantly associated with plaque echogenicity (rₛ=-0.23, p=0.02) and stroke history (rₛ=0.22, p=0.03).
Conclusion:
Parameters obtained from VFI and RVQS provide valuable information about plaque hemodynamics. In particular, WSSmean shows strong potential as a diagnostic biomarker for severe carotid stenosis and ischemic stroke.