Arterial distension waveform from B-mode ultrasound: Comparison with M-mode ultrasound

High-resolution ultrasound is widely used in the diagnosis of carotid atherosclerosis as it allows not only visualisation of the carotid vessels but also quantitative estimation of the degree of stenosis and of the echogenicity of the atheromatous plaque. Recently a method was developed that can be used to estimate two-dimensional carotid artery wall and plaque motion from sequences of 13-mode ultrasound images [1]. The method can estimate the arterial distension waveform, but can also be used to assess longitudinal vessel wall movement. In this paper the arterial distension waveform is compared with the one obtained from an M-mode trace, in order to determine an index of the validity of the previously mentioned method. B-mode images and M-mode traces were obtained from six subjects. The results showed that there was good agreement between the two methods in the estimation of the arterial distension waveform. This constitutes an index of the accuracy of the 13-mode method in estimating the arterial distension waveform.