Noninvasive Two-Dimensional Strain Imaging of Atherosclerosis: A Preliminary Study in Carotid Arteries In Vivo

Atherosclerosis remains a major cause of mortality all over the world and the sudden rupture of atherosclerotic plaque is the most important assassin. Vascular ultrasound elastography has shown promise in estimating the elastic properties to evaluate the plaque vulnerability. Contrary to intravascular elastography, noninvasive applications use a transcutaneous ultrasound transducer that is inexpensive, re-useable and convenient. To estimate the strain map, we employ a cross-correlation method in complex field to extract both the magnitude and phase messages of the ultrasound RF-echo signal. Two-dimension noninvasive carotid elastography was studied in atherosclerotic rats and New Zealand Rabbits and also in healthy volunteer, and the results indicate huge potential for diagnosis of the vulnerability of atheromatous plaques.