Improved Carotid Stenosis Quantification on Novel 4D/3D-Doppler Ultrasonography Indexing to the Common Carotid Artery.

PURPOSE: The accuracy of internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS) quantification depends on the method of stenosis measurement, impacting therapeutic decisions and outcomes. The NASCET method references the stenotic to the distal ICAS lumen, the ECST method to the local outer and the common carotid artery (CC) method to the CC diameter. Direct morphometric stenosis measurement with four-dimensionally guided three-dimensional ultrasonography (4D/3DC-US) demonstrated good validity for the commonly used NASCET method. The NASCET definition has clinically relevant drawbacks. Our purpose was to investigate the validity of the ECST and CC methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 4D/3DC-US percent-stenosis measures of 103 stenoses (80 patients) were compared to quantitative catheter angiography and duplex ultrasonography (DUS) in a blinded fashion. RESULTS: The 4D/3DC-US versus angiography intermethod standard deviation of differences (SDD, n = 103) was lower for the CC method (5.7 %) compared to the NASCET (8.1 %, p < 0.001) and ECST methods (9.1 %, p < 0.001). Additionally, it was lower than the NASCET angiography interrater SDD of 52 stenoses (SDD 7.2 %, p = 0.047) and non-inferior for the ECST method (p = 0.065). Interobserver analysis of equivalent grading methods showed no differences for the SDDs between angiography and 4D/3DC-US observers (p > 0.076). Binary comparison to angiography showed equal Kappa values > 0.7 and an accuracy ≥ 85 % for the NASCET and CC methods, higher than for the ECST method. The binary accuracy of ICAS grading did not differ from DUS for all methods. CONCLUSION: The new 4D/3DC-US CC method is an accurate and well reproducible alternative to the NASCET and ECST methods and offers potential for clinical application.

Outcomes of directional atherectomy for common femoral artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular therapy is the first-line strategy for femoropopliteal obstructive disease. However, for lesions involving the common femoral artery (CFA) surgical endarterectomy is still the gold standard. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of directional atherectomy (DA) for the treatment of CFA lesions. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent DA of the CFA between March 2009 and June 2017 was performed. The primary efficacy endpoint was the incidence of clinically driven target lesion revascularisation (cdTLR). Secondary endpoints included the overall procedural complication rate at 30 days, change in ankle-brachial index (ABI), and Rutherford-Becker class (RBC) during follow-up. RESULTS: This analysis included 250 patients. The mean follow-up period was 31.03±21.56 months (range 1-88, median follow-up period 25 months). The procedural complication rate including access-site complications, target lesion perforation, and outflow embolisation was 10.4% (n=26). All but one complication could be treated conservatively or endovascularly. One surgical revision was necessary. Freedom from major adverse events (death, cdTLR, myocardial infarction and major target limb amputation) at 30 days was 99.6%. The rate of cdTLR during follow-up was 13.6% (n=34). A significant improvement of the mean ABI and the RBC was observed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed residual target lesion stenosis >30% (p=0.005), and heavy calcification of the target lesion (p=0.033) to be independent predictors for cdTLR. CONCLUSIONS: The use of DA for the treatment of CFA lesions leads to promising midterm results with an acceptable complication rate.

Accuracy of Carotid Artery Stenosis Quantification with 4-D-Supported 3-D Power-Doppler versus Color-Doppler and 2-D Blood Velocity-Based Duplex Ultrasonography.

Assessment of the severity of internal carotid artery stenosis is relevant to therapeutic decisions. Direct measurement of stenosis in static three-dimensionally rendered ultrasonographic color-Doppler images after an orientation with 4-D gray-scale views (4D/3D-C-US) was recently observed to be metrically non-inferior to angiography. In the study described here, power-Doppler (Christian Doppler was a physicist) ultrasonography (4D/3D-P-US) was prospectively compared with angiography, 4D/3D-C-US and 2-D duplex ultrasonography (DUS) in a similar fashion using blinded observers. Percentage stenosis was measured in 36 patients. Continuous percentage stenosis measures (standard deviation of difference and concordance correlation coefficient) between angiography and 4D/3D-P-US did not differ from the results between angiography observers (p > 0.05). Dichotomous diagnosis with 4D/3D-P-US resulted in κ values similar to the inter-rater agreement of angiography and the inter-method agreement of 4D/3D-C-US and DUS compared with angiography. Binary accuracy did not differ between 4D/3D-P-US, 4D/3D-C-US and DUS (p > 0.5). In conclusion, stenosis grading using 4D/3D-P-US exhibited non-inferior inter-method agreement with angiography at good accuracies, similar to 4D/3D-C-US and DUS.

The SAPPHIRE criteria, history of myocardial infarction and diabetes predict adverse outcomes following carotid endarterectomy similar to stenting.

AIMS: Identifying factors associated with worse outcome following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is important to improve prevention of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), yet rarely used for registries. We intended to identify predictors of MACCE following CEA as recently analysed for stenting. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients undergoing CEA at 2 centers over 13 years were entered into a database. Baseline clinical characteristics, procedural factors and a panel of clinical and lesion-related high-risk features (SHR) and exclusion criteria (SE), empirically compiled for stratification in the SAPPHIRE trial, were differentially analysed using Cox regressions. The analysis included 748 operations; 262 (35%) asymptomatic, 208 (28%) with previous strokes, and 278 (37%) with transient ischemic attacks (TIA). The overall 30-day MACCE rate was 6.7%, 5.0% in asymptomatic and 7.6% in symptomatic patients. Previous MI (HR 2.045, p = 0.022), diabetes (HR 2.111, p = 0.011) and symptomatic patients (HR 2.045, p = 0.044) were independently associated with MACCE. SE patients (n = 81) had a MACCE rate of 13.6%; the MACCE rate of the remainder dropped to 5.8% (4.7% in asymptomatic and 6.5% in symptomatic patients). Hazard ratio for SHR patients was 2.069 (CI 1.087-3.941) and 2.389 for SE (CI 1.223-4.666), each compared to all patients with lower risk and adjusted for symptomatic status. Among SHR and SE criteria NYHA 3-4, contralateral occlusions and intraluminal thrombus were significant determinants and MI < 4 weeks before CEA showed a strong trend (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients identified by SHR and SE criteria, prior MI and diabetes warrant increased attention to prevent MACCE following CEA.

4-Dimensionally Guided 3-Dimensional Color-Doppler Ultrasonography Quantifies Carotid Artery Stenosis With High Reproducibility and Accuracy.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to analyze the agreement and binary accuracy of the degree of internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS) as determined by 4-dimensionally (4D) real-time gray-scale guided 3-dimensional (3D) color-Doppler ultrasonography (3DC-US) (4D/3DC-US) compared with catheter angiography (CA) and duplex ultrasonography (DUS). This study hypothesized that 4D/3DC-US is noninferior to CA and DUS in grading ICAS in selected patients. BACKGROUND: Clinical stratification in patients with ICAS largely depends on a patient's symptomatic status and the degree of stenosis. METHODS: Screening with 4D/3DC-US was prospectively performed in 93 study patients (with 122 ICASs), thus yielding 80 patients for analysis (with 103 ICASs) after excluding patients with insufficient image quality, previous revascularization, and contraindications to CA. The ultrasound examination (10 MHz) consisted of consensus conform DUS examination and independent real-time 4D-guided gray-scale views for orientation followed by static 3DC-US NASCET (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) percent stenosis quantification using off-line multiplanar rendering. Multiplanar selective CA of the same ICASs was quantified with dedicated software in a blinded fashion. RESULTS: Quantitative CA of 103 stenoses with a mean degree of 65 ± 17% was compared with 4D/3DC-US, with a resulting concordance correlation coefficient of 0.89 and a standard deviation of differences (SDD) of 8.1% at a bias of +1.7%. Binary 50% and 70% stenosis detection with 4D/3DC-US revealed a sensitivity of 97% and 87%, respectively, and a specificity of 92% and 84%, respectively. Interobserver SDD for CA of 52 stenoses (7.2%) did not differ from SDD for 4D/3DC-US and CA (p = 0.274). Accuracy of 50% stenosis detection by 4D/3DC-US was tendentially higher compared with DUS (96% vs. 91%). CONCLUSIONS: The 4D/3DC-US method provides reliable and accurate stenosis quantification and binary classification with good diagnostic accuracy compared with CA and DUS.

History of transient ischaemic attack, myocardial infarction and hyperlipidaemia affects outcome following carotid artery stenting.

AIMS: This prospective registry study was intended to evaluate outcomes and predictors of adverse events following carotid artery stenting (CAS). METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients received neurological and duplex exams before CAS, prior to discharge and at 30- and 180-day follow-up. Multiple regression analysis included patient- and procedure-related characteristics. The MACCE endpoint comprised stroke, myocardial infarction and death. Three hundred and seventy-five consecutive patients underwent CAS between 1998 and 2011. Mean age was 69±9.1 years; 53% were symptomatic within the preceding six months. Mean time to CAS was 23 days in patients with TIA and 31 days with stroke (p=0.029). The MACCE rate was 1.6% during intervention and 4.0%, 5.6% and 5.9% at discharge, day 30 and day 180, respectively. TIA occurred in 31 cases (9.6%) within 30 days. A history of TIA was independently associated with MACCE (OR: 2.88; p=0.04). Furthermore, a history of hyperlipidaemia (OR: 4.02, p=0.029), MI (OR: 2.93, p=0.007) and age ≥70 (OR: 1.89, p=0.033) were independent predictors for the combined endpoint MACCE plus TIA. CONCLUSIONS: TIA is an underappreciated adverse event following CAS. Pre-procedural TIA was an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes, while stroke was not, probably related to the timing of the procedure relative to the index event.