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Updated: May 28, 2026
A Methodological Approach to Non-invasive Assessments of Vascular Function and Morphology
Published on: February 7, 2015
Quantitative assessment of maternal common carotid artery mechanics using velocity vector imaging in pre-eclampsia
Xiao Ju Ma1, Yun You Duan, Li Jun Yuan
1Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
Objective:
Velocity vector imaging (VVI) is widely used to quantify cardiac mechanical deformation. This study sought to determine whether VVI could be used to evaluate the stiffness of maternal peripheral arteries in women with pre-eclampsia.
Study Design:
Twenty-four women with pre-eclampsia and 34 normotensive pregnant women were recruited. Longitudinal and circumferential peak velocity, strain and strain rate of the right common carotid artery (CCA) were measured. All measurements were averaged from three consecutive cardiac cycles and expressed as mean ± standard deviation.
Results:
Longitudinal velocity, strain and strain rate of the anterior and posterior walls of the CCA were significantly lower in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension compared with normotensive pregnant women [velocity: 0.22 ± 0.09 cm/s vs 0.29 ± 0.09 cm/s (p<0.01) and 0.24 ± 0.10 cm/s vs 0.34 ± 0.13 cm/s (p<0.01); strain: 8.50 ± 4.92% vs 12.2 ± 6.21% (p<0.01) and 10.11 ± 5.02% vs 14.21 ± 6.48% (p<0.05); strain rate: 1.62 ± 1.14 s(-1) vs 2.24 ± 1.13 s(-1) (p<0.05) and 1.91 ± 0.99 s(-1) vs 2.45 ± 0.97 s(-1) (p<0.05)]. Similar results were also found for circumferential velocity, strain and strain rate of the anterior and posterior walls, and the interior and exterior lateral walls of the CCA.
Conclusions:
Stiffness of the maternal CCA was significantly greater in women with pre-eclampsia compared with normotensive pregnant women. VVI may have potential for quantitative assessment of vascular mechanical deformation in the clinical setting.
