B-mode ultrasonographic characterization of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

Objective: To identify features on B-mode ultrasonography (US) prevalent in symptomatic plaques and correlate these findings with histopathologic markers of plaque instability.

Methods: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) plaques from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with critical stenoses (>70%) were qualitatively assessed using preoperative B-mode US for echolucency and calcific acoustic shadowing. US echolucency was quantitated ex vivo using computerized techniques for gray-scale median (GSM) analysis.