Recommendations for the Assessment of Carotid Arterial Plaque by Ultrasound for the Characterization of Atherosclerosis and Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk: From the American Society of Echocardiography

Amer M Johri; Vijay Nambi; Tasneem Z Naqvi; Steven B Feinstein; Esther S H Kim; Margaret M Park; Harald Becher; Henrik Sillesen

doi:10.1016/j.echo.2020.04.021

Recommendations for the Assessment of Carotid Arterial Plaque by Ultrasound for the Characterization of Atherosclerosis and Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk: From the American Society of Echocardiography

J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2020 Aug;33(8):917-933. doi: 10.1016/j.echo.2020.04.021. Epub 2020 Jun 27.

Authors

Amer M Johri¹, Vijay Nambi², Tasneem Z Naqvi³, Steven B Feinstein⁴, Esther S H Kim⁵, Margaret M Park⁶, Harald Becher⁷, Henrik Sillesen⁸

Affiliations

¹ Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
² Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
³ Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona.
⁴ Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois.
⁵ Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
⁶ Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland, Ohio.
⁷ University of Alberta Hospital, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁸ Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

PMID: 32600741
DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2020.04.021

Abstract

Atherosclerotic plaque detection by carotid ultrasound provides cardiovascular disease risk stratification. The advantages and disadvantages of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound methods for carotid arterial plaque quantification are reviewed. Advanced and emerging methods of carotid arterial plaque activity and composition analysis by ultrasound are considered. Recommendations for the standardization of focused 2D and 3D carotid arterial plaque ultrasound image acquisition and measurement for the purpose of cardiovascular disease stratification are formulated. Potential clinical application towards cardiovascular risk stratification of recommended focused carotid arterial plaque quantification approaches are summarized.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Carotid plaque; Risk stratification.

Publication types

Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

Atherosclerosis* / diagnostic imaging
Cardiovascular Diseases*
Echocardiography
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Humans
Plaque, Atherosclerotic* / diagnostic imaging
Risk Factors
United States / epidemiology