Evaluation by ultrasound of the velocity time integral in carotid stenosis

Abstract

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Atherosclerotic disease is one of the main causes of cerebrovascular accident. Doppler ultrasound is one of the most important tools in the diagnosis and quantification of such issues. The classics variables to assess through this method are peak systolic velocity (PSV) at the highest stenosis carotid level, diastolic velocity at such level and the PSV rate between the PSV at the stenosis level of the internal carotid artery (ICA) respect the PSV at the common carotid artery (CCA). Objectives Compare the correlation of the velocity time integral (VTI) and the ratio between VTI of ICA and CCA to identify carotid stenosis by carotid ultrasound. Material and methods We included patients that assist at the institution for a carotid ultrasound to identify a carotid stenosis, between 2017 and 2020. Correlation tests between continuous variables were applied according to the type of distribution. Pearson"s test for continuous variables with normal distribution and Spearman"s for those with abnormal distribution.Fig. 1 Results Three hundred and forty two patients were included, 78% male, mean age 67 ± 8. According to its distribution, the VTI ACI / CCA ratio obtained as the median is 5 cm (1.27-8). By dividing the VTI ratio by quartiles, we observe that the percentage of individuals with a higher degree of carotid obstruction, increase significantly as the quartile increase: 0%, 36.5%, 94.2%, 98.8 %. p: 0.0001. Likewise, a high correlation value between the classical quantitative values and VTI and ratio of VTI at different grade of carotid stenosis was seen by carotid ultrasound (Table 1). Conclusions VTI and VTI ratio are parameters that show good correlation with the classical variables to assess a carotid stenosis by carotid ultrasound. In future investigations, the evaluation of these parameters could lead the estimation of the stenosis area, considering the principles of the continuity equation. Abstract Figure. Fig 1 Abstract Table. 1