Three-Dimensional and Conventional Carotid Ultrasound for Assessment of Carotid Plaque in a Stroke Patient: A Simple Way to Validate Findings.

Single-sweep automated 3-D ultrasound is a new imaging modality for the assessment of carotid plaque. Its most important application is the measurement of the plaque volume. To our knowledge, to date there is not a widely accepted "gold standard" to validate 3-D plaque volume measurement. We compared the findings of 2-dimensional and 3-D carotid ultrasound imaging with those of postsurgical plaque specimen using a simple method.

Comprehensive and rapid assessment of carotid plaques in acute stroke using a new single sweep method for three-dimensional carotid ultrasound.

We describe a 68-year-old man with acute stroke in whom the newly developed single sweep method for three-dimensional (3D) carotid ultrasound provided a rapid and comprehensive assessment of atherosclerotic plaque burden in the internal carotid artery. The two-dimensional duplex carotid scan diagnosed 50-69% stenosis, and with the three-dimensional method, the markedly hypoechogenic plaque (total volume 1.42 mL) was shown to occupy 77% of the total arterial volume (1.84 mL), consistent with severe lesion. The ultrasound findings were confirmed by computed tomographic angiography and subsequent carotid endarterectomy. The new single sweep 3D carotid ultrasound has the potential to become a valuable clinical tool in the assessment of stroke patients.