Evaluation of the interrater and intermethod agreement of the German multiparametric ultrasound criteria for the grading of internal carotid artery stenosis.

PURPOSE: The interdisciplinary German guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS) recommend a multiparametric approach for the sonographic grading of extracranial ICAS. The aim of this study is to evaluate the interrater and intermethod agreement of this elaborated sonographic approach with different angiographic modalities. METHODS: Patients with extracranial ICAS were examined twice with colour-coded duplex sonography (CDS) by two experienced vascular neurologists. Each of the ten criteria and the resulting stenotic value were assessed. Grading of ICAS based on the multiparametric ultrasound criteria was compared with different angiography modalities (magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computed tomography angiography (CTA), digital subtraction angiography (DSA)). RESULTS: Seventy-four consecutive patients with 91 extracranial ICAS were recruited from our stroke unit and neurovascular outpatient clinic. Interrater agreement for each single ultrasound criterion ranged from moderate to excellent (for the peak systolic velocity). Concerning the absolute stenotic value of ICAS, an excellent agreement between both ultrasound examiners with an ICC of 0.91 (range 0.87-0.94; p < 0.001) was found. In 96% of ICAS, the difference between the stenotic values was ≤ 10%. Intermethod agreements between CDS and DSA, CTA, and MRA were also good for both sonographers. CONCLUSION: Strictly adhering to the multiparametric "DEGUM ultrasound criteria", we found an excellent interrater agreement and a good intermethod agreement compared with angiography for the sonographic grading of extracranial ICAS. Thus, multiparametric CDS is in particular suitable for the follow up of extracranial ICAS even when examinations are done by different sonographers.

Evaluation Of freehand high-resolution 3-dimensional ultrasound of the median nerve.

INTRODUCTION: In this study we evaluated freehand 3D ultrasound (3DUS) of the median nerve in comparison to 2D ultrasound (2DUS) and assessed the influence of tilting the transversal plane on cross-sectional area (CSA) measurement. METHODS: Two examiners investigated the median nerves of 22 healthy subjects over a distance of 20 cm using 3DUS. Image quality and CSA were assessed at random points within the virtual 3D volume and compared with 2DUS. RESULTS: Image quality within the virtual 3D volume was good/sufficient/poor in 53.0%/40.2%/6.8% (examiner 1) and 21.6%/69.6%/8.8% (examiner 2), respectively. CSA measurements with 3DUS were smaller than with 2DUS (-12% and -17%; Wilcoxon test, P < 0.001). Interrater agreement for 3DUS and intermethod agreement between 2DUS and 3DUS were moderate. Stepwise tilting of the transversal plane increased CSA significantly. CONCLUSION: Freehand 3DUS of the median nerve over 20 cm is feasible and may help overcome some of the limitations and pitfalls of 2DUS. Muscle Nerve 55: 206-212, 2017.

Multiparametric 3D Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound to Assess Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Extracranial internal carotid artery stenoses (ICASs) may greatly differ with respect to morphological and hemodynamical aspects. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the use of multiparametric 3-dimensional (3D) contrast-enhanced ultrasound (3D-CEUS) to comprehensively examine ICAS. METHODS: Fifteen patients with moderate to severe ICAS were examined with multiparametric 3D-CEUS, power-mode 3D ultrasound (3DUS), color-coded duplex sonography (CDS), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) (n = 9). Multiparametric 3D-CEUS comprised the assessment of the morphology and the stenotic degree of ICAS and the measurement of the ipsistenotic cerebral circulation time (CCT). RESULTS: Multiparametric 3D-CEUS reliably visualized even complex aspects of ICAS such as ulcerated or heavily calcified plaques with high spatial resolution. When comparing the different methods to quantify ICAS, the intermethod agreement was good (ranging from poor to excellent) between 3D-CEUS and CDS, moderate (ranging from poor to good) between 3D-CEUS and DSA, and poor (ranging from poor to good) between CDS and DSA. The CCT was significantly longer in patients with ICAS than in healthy subjects (8.2 ± 1.5 seconds vs. 6.5 ± 1.3 seconds, P = .026). CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, bedside multiparametric 3D-CEUS provided reliable estimations of different morphological and hemodynamical aspects of ICAS, thus ideally complementing CDS.

Evaluation of Freehand B-Mode and Power-Mode 3D Ultrasound for Visualisation and Grading of Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, colour-coded duplex sonography (2D-CDS) is clinical standard for detection and grading of internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS). However, unlike angiographic imaging modalities, 2D-CDS assesses ICAS by its hemodynamic effects rather than luminal changes. Aim of this study was to evaluate freehand 3D ultrasound (3DUS) for direct visualisation and quantification of ICAS. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with 43 ICAS were examined with 2D-CDS as reference standard and with freehand B-mode respectively power-mode 3DUS. Stenotic value of 3D reconstructed ICAS was calculated as distal diameter respectively distal cross-sectional area (CSA) reduction percentage and compared with 2D-CDS. RESULTS: There was a trend but no significant difference in successful 3D reconstruction of ICAS between B-mode and power mode (examiner 1 {Ex1} 81% versus 93%, examiner 2 {Ex2} 84% versus 88%). Inter-rater agreement was best for power-mode 3DUS and assessment of stenotic value as distal CSA reduction percentage (intraclass correlation coefficient {ICC} 0.90) followed by power-mode 3DUS and distal diameter reduction percentage (ICC 0.81). Inter-rater agreement was poor for B-mode 3DUS (ICC, distal CSA reduction 0.36, distal diameter reduction 0.51). Intra-rater agreement for power-mode 3DUS was good for both measuring methods (ICC, distal CSA reduction 0.88 {Ex1} and 0.78 {Ex2}; ICC, distal diameter reduction 0.83 {Ex1} and 0.76 {Ex2}). In comparison to 2D-CDS inter-method agreement was good and clearly better for power-mode 3DUS (ICC, distal diameter reduction percentage: Ex1 0.85, Ex2 0.78; distal CSA reduction percentage: Ex1 0.63, Ex2 0.57) than for B-mode 3DUS (ICC, distal diameter reduction percentage: Ex1 0.40, Ex2 0.52; distal CSA reduction percentage: Ex1 0.15, Ex2 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: Non-invasive power-mode 3DUS is superior to B-mode 3DUS for imaging and quantification of ICAS. Thereby, further studies are warranted which should now compare power-mode 3DUS with the angiographic gold standard imaging modalities for quantification of ICAS, i.e. with CTA or CE-MRA.