Is the Adventitial Vasa Vasorum in Vulnerable Carotid Plaques Increased or Decreased?

ADVANCED ULTRASOUND IN DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY >

2025 , Vol. 9 >Issue 1: 56 - 64

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37015/AUDT.2025.240043

Original Research

Is the Adventitial Vasa Vasorum in Vulnerable Carotid Plaques Increased or Decreased?

Wang Yixuan ,
Jin Lin ,
Chen Jianxiong ,
Yang Huixian ,
Shen Cuiqin ,
Xu Wenzhe ,
Shen Yuzhou ,
Huang Jun ,
Sun Liwan ,
Du Lianfang ,
Wang Bei ,
Li Fan ,
Li Zhaojun

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^aDepartment of Ultrasound, Jiading Branch of Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
^bDepartment of Medical Ultrasound, Shandong Medicine and Health Key Laboratory of Abdominal Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
^cDepartment of Ultrasound, Guanghua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
^dDepartment of Ultrasound, Shanghai General Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai, China
^eDepartment of Ultrasound, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Zhangjiagang, China
^fDepartment of Ultrasound, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

First author contact:

¹ Yixuan Wang and Lin Jin contributed equally to this study.

*Department of Ultrasound, Jiading Branch of Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 800 Huangjiahuayuan Road, Jiading District, Shanghai, 201803, China e-mail: lzj_1975@sina.com

Received date: 2024-08-18

Revised date: 2024-09-08

Accepted date: 2024-10-24

Online published: 2025-02-08

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Abstract

Background Intraplaque neovascularization is a biomarker of vulnerable plaque. However, no data are available whether the increase in neovascularization within carotid plaques is a result of ischemia or an increase in adventitial vasa vasorum (VV).

Objective To evaluate the VV signal in carotid vulnerable plaques.

Methods Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examination was performed to examine changes in VV density in 47 patients with carotid plaque, and 21 patients received CT angiography (CTA) examination to assess the VV signal. In addition, a single-channel flow tissue model was fabricated for use in vitro studies to exclude pseudo-enhancement interferences in the distal wall of arteries by CEUS.

Results The intensities of adventitial VV behind carotid plaque were lower than that of adventitial VV at the same level adjacent to the plaque in both CEUS and CTA examinations (P < 0.05). In vitro study, the intensities of far wall increased as the microbubble concentration increased (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences of intensities of far wall were found between different thicknesses tubes at the concentration of microbubble concentrations of 0.3% and 0.5% (P ≥ 0.05).

Conclusion The formation of intraplaque neovascularization in carotid arteries is associated with the adventitial VV, and ischemia of VV may be a potential mechanism for intraplaque neovascularization.

Key words： Carotid vulnerable plaque; Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Vasa vasorum; Neovascularization

Cite this article

Wang Yixuan , Jin Lin , Chen Jianxiong , Yang Huixian , Shen Cuiqin , Xu Wenzhe , Shen Yuzhou , Huang Jun , Sun Liwan , Du Lianfang , Wang Bei , Li Fan , Li Zhaojun . Is the Adventitial Vasa Vasorum in Vulnerable Carotid Plaques Increased or Decreased?[J]. ADVANCED ULTRASOUND IN DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY, 2025 , 9(1) : 56 -64 . DOI: 10.37015/AUDT.2025.240043

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