{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T18:42:23Z","timestamp":1785177743544,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,23]],"date-time":"2024-02-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1708646400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Unstable atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries is one of the main risk factors for cerebral ischemia. Duplex ultrasound is a frequently used diagnostic method, but it has some limitations for microvascularization and neovascularization evaluation. The aim of this review was to evaluate the role of the new multiparametric US method\u2014contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)\u2014in atherosclerotic plaque instability verification. Materials and Methods: Original studies, reviews, and meta-analyses were included in this article. A total of 53 studies were retrieved; 29 were included in this study. Results: Carotid artery CEUS as a part of the multiparametric ultrasound method shows promising results and provides additional characteristics of soft- and high-risk atherosclerotic plaques; it can be advised in clinical practice for patients with carotid artery soft- and high-risk plaques. However, there are some limitations, such as extensive calcinosis with important acoustic shadows in carotid atherosclerotic plaque neovascularization diagnostics by CEUS. The added value of CEUS in the characterization of atherosclerotic plaque is that it indicates regions with high neovascularization and visualizes ulcerations on plaque surfaces, suggestive of increased instability risk.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina60030375","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,23]],"date-time":"2024-02-23T04:31:23Z","timestamp":1708662683000},"page":"375","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["What Is the Added Value of Carotid CEUS in the Characterization of Atherosclerotic Plaque?"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"60","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2278-6599","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrejs","family":"Lioznovs","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiology Research Laboratory, Riga Stradins Universtity, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Diagnostic Radiology Institute, Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, LV-1002 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9518-4855","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maija","family":"Radzina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiology Research Laboratory, Riga Stradins Universtity, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Diagnostic Radiology Institute, Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, LV-1002 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0477-9886","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Saule","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiology Research Laboratory, Riga Stradins Universtity, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Diagnostic Radiology Institute, Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, LV-1002 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peteris Einars","family":"Grinbergs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiology Research Laboratory, Riga Stradins Universtity, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2344-2867","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aigars","family":"Lacis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Vascular Surgery, Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, LV-1002 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.3171\/2015.1.JNS142452","article-title":"Contemporary carotid imaging: From degree of stenosis to plaque vulnerability","volume":"124","author":"Brinjikji","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. 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