Vascular ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging method that uses soundwaves to produce images and videos of veins and arteries. Using Doppler technology, vascular ultrasound can measure speed and direction of blood flow. It is a critical tool for vascular care, diagnosis, and research.
Doppler ultrasound was first introduced to the medical field in 1956. Since this time, ultrasound has evolved and become increasingly central to diagnostic medicine including detection of vascular disease. Vascular disease is a broad term for conditions that affect the vascular, or circulatory system. These conditions include the following:
- Atherosclerosis
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)
- Varicose Veins
There are several risk factors for vascular disease, such as family history, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, and obesity. Over the years, vascular disease research has led to the discovery of both risk factors and treatments for these conditions. This research is made possible by vascular ultrasound technology.
Vascular Disease Research
Vascular disease research is important for understanding how different vascular diseases affect the body and evaluating new treatments for these conditions. This innovative research is published in peer-reviewed journals such as Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology by the American Heart Association, Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research, and the Journal of Vascular Surgery. Recent studies published in these journals have used vascular ultrasound to evaluate the following:
- Associations between carotid and muscular arterial wall thickness with body composition and cardiovascular risk factors1
- Ability of convolutional neural networks to identify features of carotid plaques to determine risk of stroke2
- Reliability of three-dimensional ultrasound in endovascular aortic repair surveillance3
Advancements in Vascular Ultrasound
Ultrasound technology is also used in research to advance the field of vascular ultrasound imaging itself. These studies are published in journals such as Ultrasonics, the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, and the Journal for Vascular Ultrasound by the Society for Vascular Ultrasound. Studies assess advancements like three-dimensional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound, as well as their clinical implications.
Three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) allows for the visualization of three-dimensional anatomy and the features of arteries and veins within the body. 3DUS uses linear arrays and 2D arrays to help create these images. This technology allows for the creation of a more complete picture of the vascular system and could be used better predict risk of vascular disease.4
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) involves the introduction of a contrast agent within the veins and arteries to increase the sensitivity of the images that appear during a vascular ultrasound exam. This approach to vascular ultrasound combines ultrasound technology with the use of IV-administered contrast agents, which makes it a more invasive procedure. However, in some cases CEUS has been used to increase diagnostic accuracy of carotid plaque and atherosclerosis.5
These technological advancements can increase vascular ultrasound accuracy and expand its use cases, and it will continue to be an important diagnostic and surveillance tool. Vascular ultrasound is also a crucial component of cutting-edge vascular disease research. This safe, noninvasive, and well-tolerated imaging method will remain a mainstay in the healthcare field for years to come.
Guest Contributor: Jordan Galerkin
Sources:
- Ultra-high frequency ultrasound delineated changes in carotid and muscular artery intima-media and adventitia thickness in obese early middle-aged women. Sundholm J.K., Litwin L. et al. Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research. 2022;19(3). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14791641221094321
- Using deep convolutional neural networks to automate classification of carotid plaques from ultrasound imaging. Bhatt N., Nedadur R., et al. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2022; A347(42). https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/atvb.42.suppl_1.347
- Three-dimensional ultrasound is a reliable alternative in endovascular aortic repair surveillance. Ghulam Q., Bredahl K., et al. Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2021;74(3). https://www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(21)00334-7/fulltext
- Recent advances in vascular ultrasound imaging technology and their clinical implications. Golemati S., Cokkinos D. Ultrasonics. 2022;119. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0041624X21002195
- Vascular ultrasound, the potential of integration of multiparametric ultrasound into routine clinical practice. Rafailidis V, Sidhu P.S. Ultrasound. 2018;26(3). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099759/
- Diagnosing Vascular Disease. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Heart and Vascular Institute. https://www.upmc.com/services/heart-vascular/services/tests-procedures/vascular-disease-screening/diagnosing-vascular-disease
