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Atherosclerosis is a key pathological process that causes a plethora of pathologies, including coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and ischemic stroke. The silent progression of the atherosclerotic disease prompts for new surveillance tools that can visualize, characterize, and provide a risk evaluation of the atherosclerotic plaque...
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... When the stenosis of the carotid artery occurs, arterial RI and PI increase abnormally, normal blood circulation in the body is obstructed, and the brain experiences varying degrees of ischemia and hypoperfusion, resulting in a slowdown in blood flow velocity. 24 There is a significant correlation between the severity of the stenosis and the changes in the measured indexes. The more severe the carotid artery stenosis, the lower the EDV and PSV, and the higher the RI and PI are. ...
Objective: To explore the evaluation value of intracranial magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) combined with carotid ultrasound (CU) in patients with cerebral infarction (CI). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 122 patients with CI who underwent intracranial MRA combined with CU examination in Shengzhou People’s Hospital from January 2021 to October 2022. Vascular stenosis rate and CU parameters of patients with different degrees of nerve damage (ND) and size of CI lesion were analyzed. Results: The rate of vascular stenosis and ultrasound parameters significantly varied between patients with different degrees of ND and different sizes of CI lesion. Spearman test showed a significant positive correlation between vascular stenosis, pulsatile index (PI), and resistance index (RI) with the degree of ND and the size of CI lesions in patients. There was a significant negative correlation between peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and the degree of ND and the size of CI lesions (P<0.05). Conclusions: Intracranial MRA combined with CU can clarify the vascular stenosis and hemodynamic characteristics of patients with CI, and the combined approach closely correlates with the characteristics of CI, which can be used for disease assessment. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.6.9312 How to cite this: Guo X, Sun L. The evaluation value of intracranial magnetic resonance angiography combined with carotid ultrasound in cerebral infarction. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(6):1140-1145. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.6.9312 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
... Major risk factors include hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes mellitus, making this a common finding [29]. Given that calcific atherosclerosis of the hepatic artery can appear as hyperechogenic plaques with acoustic shadowing in a vascular distribution on US [30], this appearance can mimic PVG. Although both calcifications and gas are associated with posterior acoustic shadowing, calcifications demonstrate a darker shadowing pattern with better defined margins, while gas demonstrates a less conspicuous ill-defined shadowing pattern also called "dirty" shadowing [31]. ...
Portal venous gas on abdominal ultrasound classically represents an indirect indicator of bowel ischemia, a critical condition which poses a high patient mortality and therefore warrants emergent corrective action. While the classic appearance of portal venous gas on ultrasound is well-described in the literature, the characteristic descriptors are nonspecific and may actually represent other less emergent mimics. Therefore, while radiologists should remain vigilant for the detection of findings corresponding to portal venous gas, they should also be aware of similar-appearing entities in order to provide the most accurate diagnosis. This pictorial essay will open with imaging examples of true portal venous gas attributable to bowel ischemia and describe the classic features which should alert radiologists to this specific diagnosis. Subsequently, this pictorial essay will provide imaging examples of other various other clinical entities which on ultrasound may share similar imaging characteristics. An important objective of this pictorial essay is to highlight distinguishing imaging features along with specific clinical circumstances for each pathological entity which can direct radiologists into identifying the correct diagnosis.
... [1][2][3][4] In addition, ultrasonography can diagnose vascular conditions, such as atherosclerosis. [5][6][7] Soft fibrous biological tissues, including tendon, muscle, and blood vessel wall, are composed of fibrous proteins, such as collagen, elastin, myosin, and actin, which are important for the mechanical properties of these tissues. Collagen provides tissues with tensile strength, which resists plastic deformation and rupture. ...
Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation has been widely applied clinically to promote bone healing; however, its detailed mechanism of action, particularly in endochondral ossification, remains elusive, and long‐term stimulation is required for its satisfactory effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation using a mouse prechondroblast cell line (ATDC5), and establish an efficient PEMF stimulation strategy for endochondral ossification. The changes in cell differentiation (gene expression levels of aggrecan, type II collagen, and type X collagen) and proliferation (cellular uptake of bromodeoxyuridine [BrdU]) in ATDC5 cells in the presence or absence of rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, was measured. The effects of continuous and intermittent PEMF stimulation on changes in cell differentiation and proliferation were compared. Rapamycin significantly suppressed the induction of cell differentiation markers and the cell proliferation activity. Furthermore, only intermittent PEMF stimulation continuously activated the mTOR pathway in ATDC5 cells, significantly promoting cell proliferation. These results demonstrate the involvement of the mTOR pathway in chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation and suggest that intermittent PEMF stimulation could be effective as a stimulus for endochondral ossification during fracture healing process, thereby reducing stimulation time.
... [1][2][3][4] In addition, ultrasonography can diagnose vascular conditions, such as atherosclerosis. [5][6][7] Soft fibrous biological tissues, including tendon, muscle, and blood vessel wall, are composed of fibrous proteins, such as collagen, elastin, myosin, and actin, which are important for the mechanical properties of these tissues. Collagen provides tissues with tensile strength, which resists plastic deformation and rupture. ...
Acoustically induced electric polarization and its anisotropy in soft fibrous biological tissues were investigated under wet conditions. Assuming that fibrous tissues have polar uniaxial symmetry, stress-induced polarization should occur in the direction of fiber orientation in the non-shear terms of the piezoelectric tensor. Using the acoustically stimulated electromagnetic method, we measured the anisotropic properties of acoustically induced polarization in wet samples of Achilles tendon, skeletal muscle, and aortic wall. In all these tissues, the major non-shear term was confirmed to be d 33 , with polarization occurring along the fibrous direction. In Achilles tendon, which contains highly oriented collagen fibers, the uniaxially symmetric fiber structure explains the anisotropic polarization well. However, substantial polarization perpendicular to the fiber orientation (the d 11 term) was observed in skeletal muscle and aortic wall, suggesting that the presence of fiber crimps and complex extracellular matrix produces polarization that does not occur in the uniaxially symmetric structures.
... Atherosclerosis results in pathological processes, including stroke, coronary artery and peripheral artery diseases. The occult nature and progression of atherosclerotic diseases therefore require the use of easily available and effective surveillance tools to identify, evaluate and follow up the progression of atherosclerotic conditions [9]. Both grey scale and Doppler ultrasound imaging provide cost-effective and efficient ways to identify atherosclerotic plaques and provide subclinical risk assessment. ...
... Intravascular ultrasound procedures are known to provide a specific risk assessment of atherosclerotic lesions and track the progression of anti-atherosclerotic therapies over time [9]. Ultrasonography is the best imaging modality compared to the others because of its availability, low cost, noninvasiveness and ease of use [4]. ...
Introduction : There is a paucity of data on the association between Doppler indices, the wall thickness of the abdominal aorta and the development of atherosclerosis in Nigeria. This study aimed to establish reference data of the abdominal aorta wall thickness and their selected Doppler indices in Abuja, Nigeria. Methodology : This cross-sectional prospective study enlisted volunteer healthy subjects who consented and met the inclusion criteria by convenience sampling. The abdominal Aorta wall thickness (AAWT), as well as selected Doppler indices which are: the resistivity and pulsatility indices (RI & PI) of the abdominal aorta (AA) of four hundred and twelve male and female volunteer healthy subjects, were measured sonographically using standard protocols. Data was analyzed using SPSS v 23 and inferential analysis was done with a level of significance set at 5 %. Results : The mean ± SD of the AAWT in the volunteer healthy subjects were 1.54 ± 0.33mm and 1.29 ± 0.32mm in male and female healthy volunteers respectively. The mean ± SD of the RI and PI for male volunteer healthy subjects were 0.81 ± 0.06, and 1.09 ± 0.20. Also, the mean + SD of the RI and PI for female healthy volunteers was 0.59 ± 0.06, and 1.10 ± 0.21 respectively. Conclusion : The reference AAWT, RI and PI in the locality were 1.51 ± 0.33mm, 0.6 ± 0.06 and 1.02 ± 0.19. The RI, PI and AAWT values were higher in males (p >0.005) than in female volunteer healthy subjects.
... Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) molecular imaging is a technology that relies on ultrasound to detect molecular or cellular events occurring within blood vessels by detecting targeted microbubbles (Ten Cate, 2015;Schinkel et al., 2016;Cismaru et al., 2021) (Figure 2A). The latest EFSUMB clinical practice guidelines recommended the use of CEUS imaging to evaluate the neovascularization in plaque, so as to better stratify the risk of plaque ( Figure 2B, van den Oord et al., 2013) (Dietrich et al., 2020). ...
Atherosclerotic plaque remains the primary cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Accurate assessment of the degree of atherosclerotic plaque is critical for predicting the risk of atherosclerotic plaque and monitoring the results after intervention. Compared with traditional technology, the imaging technologies of nanoparticles have distinct advantages and great development prospects in the identification and characterization of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. Here, we systematically summarize the latest advances of targeted nanoparticle approaches in the diagnosis of atherosclerotic plaque, including multimodal imaging, fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic imaging, exosome diagnosis, and highlighted the theranostic progress as a new therapeutic strategy. Finally, we discuss the major challenges that need to be addressed for future development and clinical transformation.
... The characteristics of ultrasound make it an excellent imaging modality for the screening of patients with carotid atherosclerosis in the pursuit of identifying vulnerable plaques [47,48]. It is cost-efficient, rapid, and widely available, which provides the possibility for frequent re-examination [49]. Moreover, the characteristics of plaque vulnerability, including ulceration and intraplaque neovascularization, can be evaluated with the use of an intravascular ultrasound contrast agent [50]. ...
... Subclinical atherosclerotic disease can be investigated with the use of a carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement [67,68]. It is the quantitative parameter that is calculated by summing the thickness of the two inner layers within the carotid artery; namely, the intimal and medial layers [49,69]. The normal values for adults range between 650 and 900 µm, with an increase of 0-40 µm every year [49]. ...
... Subclinical atherosclerotic disease can be investigated with the use of a carotid intimamedia thickness (IMT) measurement [67,68]. It is the quantitative parameter that is calculated by summing the thickness of the two inner layers within the carotid artery; namely, the intimal and medial layers [49,69]. The normal values for adults range between 650 and 900 µm, with an increase of 0-40 µm every year [49]. ...
The risk assessment for carotid atherosclerotic lesions involves not only determining the degree of stenosis but also plaque morphology and its composition. Recently, carotid contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has gained importance for evaluating vulnerable plaques. This review explores CEUS’s utility in detecting carotid plaque surface irregularities and ulcerations as well as intraplaque neovascularization and its alignment with histology. Initial indications suggest that CEUS might have the potential to anticipate cerebrovascular incidents. Nevertheless, there is a need for extensive, multicenter prospective studies that explore the relationships between CEUS observations and patient clinical outcomes in cases of carotid atherosclerotic disease.
... Typically, the geometry of these vessels is regular. An altered shape or partial occlusion is an indicator of health problems [3,4]. ...
The inferior vena cava (IVC) is the largest vein in the body. It returns deoxygenated blood to the heart from the tissues placed under the diaphragm. The size and dynamics of the IVC depend on the blood volume and right atrial pressure, which are important indicators of a patient’s hydration and reflect possible pathological conditions. Ultrasound (US) assessment of the IVC is a promising technique for evaluating these conditions, because it is fast, non-invasive, inexpensive, and without side effects. However, the standard M-mode approach for measuring IVC diameter is prone to errors due to the vein movements during respiration. B-mode US produces two-dimensional images that better capture the IVC shape and size. In this review, we discuss the pros and cons of current IVC segmentation techniques for B-mode longitudinal and transverse views. We also explored several scenarios where automated IVC segmentation could improve medical diagnosis and prognosis.
... Conventional methods, which are B-mode ultrasound and doppler mode, have been used to identify, discover, and indicate an atherosclerotic plaque. However, they have many limitations in precision, the profundity of scanning, and obtaining adequate ultrasound windows for the superficial vessels and the plaque status [5]. ...
Background: Atherosclerosis in carotid arteries can remain clinically undetected in its early development until an acute cerebrovascular event such as stroke emerges. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) circulating in blood have emerged as potential diagnostic biomarkers, but their performance in detecting subclinical carotid atherosclerosis has yet to be systematically researched.
Aim: To investigate the diagnostic performance of circulating miRNAs in detecting subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.
Methods: We systematically searched five electronic databases from inception to July 23, 2022. Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis was defined using carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Diagnostic accuracy parameters and correlation coefficients were pooled. A gene network visualisation and enrichment bioinformatics analysis were additionally conducted to search for potential target genes and pathway regulations of the miRNAs.
Results: Fifteen studies (15 unique miRNAs) comprising 2542 subjects were identified. Circulating miRNAs had a pooled sensitivity of 85% (95% CI 80%–89%), specificity of 84% (95% CI 78%–88%), positive likelihood ratio of 5.19 (95% CI 3.97–6.80), negative likelihood ratio of 0.18 (95% CI 0.13–0.23), diagnostic odds ratio of 29.48 (95% CI 21.15–41.11), and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.91 (95% CI 0.88–0.93), with a strong correlation to CIMT (pooled coefficient 0.701; 95% CI 0.664–0.731). Bioinformatics analysis revealed a major role of the miRNAs, as shown by their relation with CCND1, KCTD15, SPARC, WWTR1, VEGFA genes, and multiple pathways involved in the pathogenesis of carotid atherosclerosis.
Conclusion: Circulating miRNAs had excellent accuracy in detecting subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, suggesting their utilisation as novel diagnostic tools.
... It is non-invasive, inexpensive and cost-effective tool and recommended for the measurement of intima media thickening of carotid arteries (CIMT) for assessment of CVD risk. 8 Changed in assessment methodology of atherosclerosis and recent evidences of propensity of HCV patients for development of atherosclerosis demands to revisit the relation of lipids with atherosclerosis as measured by intima media thickening of carotid arteries. Thus, present study has twofold scope, first to evaluate the IMT of carotid arteries of CHC patients by B mode ultrasonography and second to find out the relation of lipid profile with intima media thickening of carotid arteries in HCV seropositive patients. ...
Objective: To find out the relation between carotid intima media thickening (CIMT) and lipid profile in HCV seropositive patients. Study Design & Setting: Descriptive, cross sectional study. Methodology: Study was conducted in the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Dow University of Health Sciences. Duration of study wsd 13 months. After ethical approval, a total of ninety participants including thirty (n=30) control (Group A) and sixty (n=60) HCV sero-positive patients (Group B) were inducted in the study from the hepatitis clinic of Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, Those with history of smoking, hypertension, alcohol, pregnancy, ascities, coinfection with other hepatitis viruses and not willing to participate were excluded. After consent, demographic and anthropometric data were recorded. Blood samples were taken for fasting blood glucose and lipid profile estimation. CIMT was estimated by carotid doppler ultrasound. Data entered and analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. and presented as frequency (n; %) and mean ±SD. Student "t" test and Pearson's correlation test were applied where appropriate. A p-value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Demographic and anthropometric characteristics of HCV sero-positive participants showed non-significant difference compared to control. FBG and CIMT were found to be significantly raised in HCV infected patients while lipid profile parameters showed insignificant difference. Pearson's correlation test revealed insignificant relation of lipid profile parameters with CIMT (p > 0.000). Conclusion: HCV seropositive patients had significantly raised CIMT with non-significant relation with parameters of lipid profile.
