An in vitro study of the relationship between Doppler embolic signal intensity and plaque embolus size

Aim and background: Unstable carotid plaque is a known cause of embolic stroke. Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound (TCD) is a non invasive method of detecting cerebral emboli. However, one limitation of this technique is that there is no reliable framework for relating returned Doppler signal intensity to embolus size. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between plaque embolus size and signal intensity. Material and methods: Fresh plaque was taken from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. This was cut to create 'model' emboli ranging from 0.3 to 2mm in diameter, which were introduced into…