Does Quantification of Carotid Plaque Surface Irregularities Better Detect Symptomatic Plaques Compared to the Subjective Classification?

Objectives: To evaluate the interobserver agreement of color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for quantification of carotid plaque surface irregularities and to correlate objective and subjective measures with stroke occurrence.

Methods: This work was an observational study involving 54 patients with 62 internal carotid artery or carotid bulb plaques (31 symptomatic) undergoing CDUS and CEUS between February 2016 and February 2018, with retrospective interpretation of prospectively acquired data. Plaques were included if causing moderate (50%-69%) or severe (70%-99%) stenosis based on velocity criteria, and their surface was classified as smooth, irregular, or ulcerated based on CEUS.

Extracranial internal carotid artery occlusive dissection - multimodality presentation in a case series.

Carotid dissection is a rare disease, mainly affecting young and middle-aged patients potentially ending up in stroke. Multimodality imaging plays an essential role, both in terms of prompt and accurate diagnosis and follow-up of this entity. We herein present a case series of patients with internal carotid artery dissection and compare the various imaging findings of ultrasonography, multidetector computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance angiography, with a purpose to illustrate the value of multimodality imaging in the diagnosis of carotid dissection.

A comparative study of color Doppler imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the detection of ulceration in patients with carotid atherosclerotic disease.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of color Doppler imaging (CDI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for diagnosing carotid ulceration, having multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) as the reference method.

Methods: Patients with carotid disease referred for ultrasound (US), either due to the occurrence of neurovascular symptoms or for screening purposes, were included in this study if at least one plaque causing moderate (50-69%) or severe (70-99%) internal carotid artery stenosis was detected. Carotid US with CDI technique, CEUS, and MDCTA were performed in all patients, investigating the presence of ulceration.

Headache Linked to Intracranial Hypertension and Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis as the Initial and Dominant Presentation of Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis. Case Report and Review of the Recent Literature.

Objective: The objective of this article is to report a rare case of headache as the initial symptom of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and to review the recent literature.

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare, systemic, autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. GPA has a wide spectrum of clinical symptomatology, including involvement of the nervous system, even as the initial manifestation.