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Ultrasonic characteristics of carotid webs

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the ultrasonographic images of 46 cases of carotid web (CW) and summarize their manifestations to reduce the rate of misdiagnosis.

Methods

For the analysis of ultrasonic manifestations, 46 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CW by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and CT angiography (CTA) in our hospital from January 2015 to October 2020 were collected. The location and the morphology of CW, the presence of a plaque at the base and thrombus at the surrounding of the CW, and whether they resulted in arteriostenosis were discussed.

Results

The average age of 46 patients was 43.23 ± 4.89 years old and there were 18 males and 28 females. Fifteen patients were admitted with cerebral infarction. The CW was located at the initial segment of the internal carotid artery in 22 cases, the bifurcation of the carotid artery in 20 cases, and the common carotid artery in 4 cases. CW in 5 patients was longer than half of the artery diameter, two patients with “cliff-like” arteriostenosis, 29 patients with plaques, and 16 patients with thrombi. The CW grew in the direction of the blood flow without obvious fluttering. The CW has a higher display rate on the ultrasound longitudinal section than the transverse section.

Conclusion

We identified some typical ultrasound characteristics of CW. Recognizing them will improve diagnostic accuracy of CW by ultrasonography.

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Funding

This work was supported by the grants from Zhejiang Medicine and Health Sciences Research Fund (NO.2019RC077), Clinical Research Fund Project of Zhejiang Medical Association (NO.2019ZYC-A110) and Ningbo Natural Science Foundation (NO.202003N4225).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ultrasound, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 41 Northwest Street, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, China

    Zhifei Ben, Jue Wang, Jinyong Zhan & Saijun Chen

Authors
  1. Zhifei Ben
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  2. Jue Wang
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  3. Jinyong Zhan
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  4. Saijun Chen
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Contributions

Zhifei Ben: Design, implementation and the writing of papers

Jue Wang: Implementation and data collection

Jingyong Zhan: Implementation and data collection

Saijun Chen: Design, implementation and paper revision

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Saijun Chen.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declared they do not have anything to disclose regarding conflict of interest with respect to this manuscript.

Ethical approval

The study was in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Ben, Z., Wang, J., Zhan, J. et al. Ultrasonic characteristics of carotid webs. Neuroradiology 64, 95–98 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-021-02757-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-021-02757-0

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