CAROTID ATHEROSCLEROSIS - ECHOGRAPHIC PATTERNS VERSUS HISTOLOGICAL-FINDINGS

The study was carried out on 25 whole carotid arteries explanted from a corpse and perfused at constant pressure to reproduce the conditions of an in vivo examination as much as possible. Out of 5 samples with intimal thickening detected by echo, fibrosis of the tunica media was observed by the pathologist in 4 and microcalcification in 1. In 4 ves sels with soft plaques at echo scanning, a wide necrotic area (2 cases ), slack connective tissue (1 case) and cystic lesions (1 case) were o bserved. Hard lesions with (5 cases) or without (2 cases) a cone of sh adow at echo evaluation corresponded to fibrous (2 cases) or fibrocalc ific (3 cases) plaques. The histological study of the two echo-diagnos ed thrombi showed an intermediate echographic pattern and the main fea ture of the non-occluding thrombus was the absence of a lumen-lesion i nterface. Mixed plaques were diagnosed at echo in 9 arteries and the c orrespondent histological aspect was a typical atheromatous lesion in all cases. Thus, the comparison of the ultrasound image with the histo ligical findings proved the reliability of echography in the detection of atheromatous lesions with an excellent agreement between the resul ts at the 2 examinations. Since the type of carotid lesions has an imp act upon clinical events these results might support the use of vascul ar ultrasound images in clinical applications.