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Objective:  Carotid plaque vulnerability assessment could guide the decision to perform endarterectomy. Ultrafast ultrasound imaging (UF) can evaluate local flow velocities over an entire 2D image, allowing measurement of the wall shear stress (WSS). We aimed at evaluating the feasibility of WSS measurement in a prospective series of patients with carotid stenosis., Methods:  UF acquisitions, performed with a linear probe, had an effective frame rate of 5000 Hz. The flow velocity was imaged over the entire plaque area. WSS was computed with the vector field speed using the formula: with the blood velocity and μ, the blood viscosity. The WSS measurement method was validated using a calibrated phantom. In vivo, WSS was analyzed in 5 areas of the carotid wall: common carotid artery, plaque ascent, plaque peak, plaque descent, internal carotid artery., Results:  Good correlation was found between in vitro measurement and the theoretical WSS values (R 2  = 0.95; p < 0.001). 33 patients were prospectively evaluated, with a median carotid stenosis degree of 80 % [75-85]. The maximum WSS value over the cardiac cycle follows the shape of the plaque with an increase during the ascent, reaching its maximum value of 3.25 Pa [2.26-4.38] at the peak of the plaque, and a decrease after passing of the peak (0.93 Pa [0.80-1.19]) lower than the WSS values in the non-stenotic areas (1.47 Pa [1.12-1.77] for the common carotid artery)., Conclusion:  UF allowed local and direct evaluation of the plaque's WSS, thus better characterizing local hemodynamics to identify areas of vulnerability., Key Points:   · Ultrafast vector Doppler allows calculation of the wall shear stress (WSS) by measuring velocity vectors over the entire 2D image.. · The setup to measure the WSS has been validated in vitro on a linear flow phantom by comparing measurements to in silico calculations.. · Applying this method to carotid plaque allows us to better describe the hemodynamic constraints that apply along the entire length of the plaque.., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The degree of stenosis of a carotid plaque is a well-established risk factor for ischemic stroke. Nevertheless, the risk of ipsilateral stroke in asymptomatic carotid stenosis remains low and new imaging markers are needed to better target which patients would benefit most from endarterectomy or intensive medical therapy. Ultrafast ultrasound imaging offers parameters helping at characterizing the carotid plaque by shear wave elastography and Ultrafast Doppler (UFD). We aimed at using these techniques to characterize 3 different ultrasound biomarkers: plaque stiffness heterogeneity, wall shear stress (WSS) and intraplaque micro-flows and to correlate these biomarkers with findings on computed tomography angiography (CTA) and the pathological examination., Methods: We present the case of a multimodal evaluation of a carotid plaque using ultrasound. Elastography has been coupled to the WSS assessment and the detection of intraplaque micro-flows by UFD. The data have been compared to CTA and to the pathology examination of the tissue after carotid endarterectomy., Results: Elastography allowed at identifying stiff areas corresponding to calcifications, as well as a soft area corresponding to an intraplaque hemorrhage. The flow evaluation with UFD showed an increase of the WSS along the plaque and identified the presence of a plaque rupture, confirmed by the pathologist., Conclusion: Ultrafast ultrasound imaging is an innovative, easily accessible technique that provides imaging modalities on top of the conventional B-mode. Ultrafast ultrasound biomarkers such as plaque stiffness heterogeneity, WSS and intraplaque micro-flows could help to define the vulnerability of the carotid plaque in order to stratify patients that could benefit most from endarterectomy or intensive medical therapy., (Copyright © 2020 Goudot, Khider, Pedreira, Poree, Julia, Alsac, Amemiya, Bruneval, Messas, Pernot and Mirault.)