Neovascularization of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque and Quantitative Methods of Its Dynamic Assessment in Vivo

The study demonstrates significant variety of neovascularization degree and vessel diameter in the carotid atherosclerotic plaque. It is suggested that the increase in the number of vessels with a diameter <20 μ can be indicative of increased atherosclerosis activity, while the increase in the number of vessels with a diameter ≥40 μ indicates "reparative potential" of plaques. Duplex contrast-enhanced ultrasound scanning allows characterization of the localization and number of vessels with a diameter of ≥30 μ in the plaque, while even slight elevation of plasma concentration of basic fibroblast growth factor attests, first of all, to increased content of small vessels <30 μ in the plaque. The level of fibroblast growth factor >1.5 pg/ml is a reliable marker of increased number of both small and large vessels in the plaque.