Ultrasound (US) has been considered the first-line diagnostic technique for evaluating carotid atherosclerosis, where plaque composition plays a key role in stroke risk. We aimed to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of carotid plaque characteristics using US techniques compared to histology in patients with symptomatic/asymptomatic carotid plaques. After prospective study registration in PROSPERO, we searched Medline Ovid, Embase.com, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science without any search limitation for the diagnostic accuracy of US in detecting carotid plaque features based on histology. From 8168 studies, 63 were included evaluating 13 histologically verified plaque characteristics by 14 different US techniques. Diagnostic accuracies for all plaque characteristics usually varied between 35% and 100% without a trend towards increasing accuracy over the last 40 y but were affected by large heterogeneity. In characteristics with >5 diagnostic accuracy comparisons, the highest diagnostic performance was found for detection of calcification (mean sensitivity 65.7%/mean specificity 84.7%), fibrous tissue (61.2%/84.9%), vulnerable/unstable plaque (76.3%/70.3%), and stable plaque (63.2%/82.7%). However, several advanced techniques investigated showed high diagnostic accuracy, promising interesting diagnostic options for the future. Carotid US allows for widely available and reliable evaluation of atherosclerotic plaque morphology by conventional and advanced techniques. Registration: PROSPERO ID CRD42022329690 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=329690).
- Klíčová slova
- Atherosclerosis, Calcification, Carotid artery disease, Doppler, Duplex ultrasound, Echogenicity, Intraplaque hemorrhage, Plaque characteristics, Stroke, Ulceration,
- MeSH
- arteriae carotides diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- aterosklerotický plát * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nemoci arterie carotis * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
- senzitivita a specificita MeSH
- stenóza arteria carotis * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- ultrasonografie metody MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- systematický přehled MeSH
Beyond the stenosis degree, the carotid plaque morphology assessed by computed tomography may improve the stroke risk stratification and is recommended to be considered before interventional treatment according to current guidelines. This study aimed to systematically review the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) to detect carotid plaque characteristics compared to histology in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaques. We registered the protocol in PROSPERO and searched Medline Ovid, Embase.com, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for diagnostic accuracy of CT in specific carotid plaque characteristic imaging compared to histology, without any search limitation up to May 27, 2022. Out of 8,168 studies, 20 studies that evaluated seven specific plaque characteristics were included in our systematic review. The best diagnostic performance was found for the detection of ulceration (sensitivity range 39.4-100% [mean 79.6%], specificity range 74-100% [mean 93.6%]), followed by calcification (72.7-100% [88.1%], 35.7-100% [80.1%]), lipid-rich necrotic core (63.2-95.6% [81.1%], 60-100% [80.1%]), and intraplaque hemorrhage (61.5-100% [86%], 20-99.5% [67.8%]). Only a few studies evaluated specifically vulnerable, mixed, and fibrous plaque. Diagnostic studies with larger sample sizes are needed, using novel available CT techniques that enable increasing diagnostic performance and decreasing radiation and amount of contrast agent. CT allows for highly accurate detection of carotid plaque features, particularly ulceration and calcification. These results underline the role of routine CT examinations to assess not only stenosis degree but also plaque morphology and individual patient stroke risk to better guide management. Registration: PROSPERO ID CRD42022329690 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=329690).
- Klíčová slova
- Carotid atherosclerosis, Carotid plaque, Carotid stenosis, Computed tomography, Diagnostic accuracy, Unstable plaque,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Accurately detecting carotid plaque characteristics is crucial for identifying high-risk patients due to risk of cerebrovascular events and complications during revascularizations. Diagnostic accuracy of individual and overall carotid plaque characteristics using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) compared to histology in patients with symptomatic/asymptomatic carotid plaques was aimed. METHODS: After prospective registration on PROSPERO (CRD42022329690), Medline Ovid, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched without any limitations. QUADAS-2 tool was used to study quality assessment, GRADE framework to assess evidence certainty, and univariate/bivariate random-effect meta-analyses for data analysis. RESULTS: Of 5960 studies screened, 107 were identified, resulting in 253 diagnostic accuracy comparisons of 16 plaque characteristics (28 CT, 120 MRI, and 105 US). CT detected intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) and lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) with good accuracy (86 % [95 %CI 67-95] and 84 % [72-91], respectively) and exhibited very high accuracy for ulceration (92 % [87-95]; 76 % on MRI and 75 % on US) and calcification (90 % [58-98] vs. 89 % [87-91] on MRI). MRI identified LRNC and IPH with good accuracy (86 % [81-89] and 86 % [84-88], respectively), and differentiated between acute/subacute/old IPH (accuracy >87 %). US accurately detected ruptured fibrous cap (85 % [77-91]), comparable to MRI (85 % [79-90]), but demonstrated lower performance for other characteristics. Finally, CT detected overall carotid morphology with 89 % accuracy, followed by MRI (86 %; p = 0.374 to CT), and significantly lower by US (78 %; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CT identified key plaque features, especially ulceration and calcification. MRI provided thorough plaque assessment by detecting all features and differentiating IPH age. For overall morphology, CT and MRI surpassed US accuracy.
BACKGROUND: While hypertension (HT) in pediatric patients is often secondary (SH), recent trends show a rise in primary hypertension (PH), which is associated with an increasing global prevalence of obesity. A relationship between serum uric acid and PH has also been suggested. Our study aimed to assess the etiology of HT and factors associated with PH in a large European cohort of children referred for HT based on office blood pressure (BP) measurements. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 2008 children aged 0-18 years (12.3 ± 4.9 years) diagnosed with HT. Patients were classified into white coat hypertension (WCH), PH, or SH groups based on office BP, 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and clinical evaluation. Anthropometric, hemodynamic, and biochemical data were collected. RESULTS: Out of 2008 patients included in the analysis, 200 (10%) were excluded due to multifactorial HT diagnosis after kidney transplantation (KTx). Among the remaining patients HT was confirmed in 1260 (548 were classified as WCH). Of 1260 patients with HT: 49.3% had PH, while 50.7% SH, mainly secondary to renal parenchymal disease (43.5% of SH patients), aortic coarctation (20.7%), and renovascular HT (18%). Age > 12.5 years, obesity (BMI SDS (standard deviation score) ≥ 1.65), and serum uric acid > 4.8 mg/dL were identified as significant factors associated with PH. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides valuable insights into the current etiology of pediatric HT and highlights the role of age, obesity, and uric acid level in the diagnosis of PH in children.
- Klíčová slova
- Hypertension etiology, Pediatric hypertension, Primary hypertension, Secondary hypertension, Serum uric acid,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Carotid plaque composition represents one of the main risk factors of future ischemic stroke. MRI provides excellent soft tissue contrast that can distinguish plaque characteristics. Our objective was to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of MRI imaging in the detection of carotid plaque characteristics compared to histology in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis through a systematic review. After prospective registration in PROSPERO (ID CRD42022329690), Medline Ovid, Embase.com, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science Core were searched without any search limitation up to May 27, 2022 to identify eligible articles. Of the 8168 studies, 53 (37 × 1.5 T MRI, 17 × 3 T MRI) evaluated MRI accuracy in the detection of 13 specific carotid plaque characteristics in 169 comparisons. MRI demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for detection of calcification (3 T MRI: mean sensitivity 92%/mean specificity 90%; 1.5 T MRI: mean sensitivity 81%/mean specificity 91%), fibrous cap (1.5 T: 89%/87%), unstable plaque (1.5 T: 89%/87%), intraplaque hemorrhage (1.5 T: 86%/88%), and lipid-rich necrotic core (1.5 T: 89%/79%). MRI also proved to have a high level of tissue discrimination for the carotid plaque characteristics investigated, allowing potentially for a better risk assessment and follow-up of patients who may benefit from more aggressive treatments. These results emphasize the role of MRI as the first-line imaging modality for comprehensive assessment of carotid plaque morphology, particularly for unstable plaque. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
- Klíčová slova
- atherosclerosis, carotid plaque, carotid stenosis, diagnostic accuracy, intraplaque hemorrhage, lipid‐rich necrotic core,
- MeSH
- arteriae carotides * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- aterosklerotický plát * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie * metody MeSH
- nemoci arterie carotis * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
- senzitivita a specificita MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
- systematický přehled MeSH
BACKGROUND: Pediatric blood pressure (BP) assessment and management is increasingly important. Uncontrolled systolic and combined hypertension leads to hypertension-mediated organ damage. The impact of isolated diastolic hypertension is less clearly understood. METHODS: We analyzed the prevalence of ambulatory isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) in primary (PH) and secondary (SH) hypertension, and associations with BMI Z-score (BMIz) and left ventricular mass index adjusted to the 95th percentile (aLVMI) in a large, multicenter cohort of hypertensive children. Hypertensive children were divided and analyzed in three ambulatory hypertension subgroups: 24-h, daytime, and nighttime. Specifically, we sought to determine the prevalence of ambulatory 24-h, daytime, or nighttime IDH. RESULTS: Prevalence of IDH varied based on ambulatory phenotypes, ranging from 6 to 12%, and was highest in children with SH. Children with IDH tended to be more likely female and, in some cases, were leaner than those with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). Despite previous pediatric studies suggesting no strong association between diastolic blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), we observed that children with IDH were equally likely to have LVH and had comparable aLVMI to those with ISH and combined systolic-diastolic hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, ambulatory IDH appears to be a unique phenotype with a female sex, and younger age predilection, but equal risk for LVH in children with either PH or SH.
- Klíčová slova
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, Children, Diastolic blood pressure, Hypertension,
- MeSH
- ambulantní monitorování krevního tlaku * MeSH
- diastola MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- hypertenze * epidemiologie diagnóza etiologie MeSH
- hypertrofie levé komory srdeční * epidemiologie etiologie diagnóza MeSH
- krevní tlak * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- předškolní dítě MeSH
- prevalence MeSH
- rizikové faktory MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- předškolní dítě MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- multicentrická studie MeSH
- MeSH
- ambulantní monitorování krevního tlaku * MeSH
- antihypertenziva terapeutické užití MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- hypertenze etiologie farmakoterapie diagnóza MeSH
- hypertrofie levé komory srdeční * etiologie patofyziologie MeSH
- krevní tlak * účinky léků MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- transplantace ledvin * škodlivé účinky MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- dopisy MeSH
- Názvy látek
- antihypertenziva MeSH
AIMS: There is increasing evidence that plaque instability in the extracranial carotid artery may lead to an increased stroke risk independently of the degree of stenosis. We aimed to determine diagnostic accuracy of vulnerable and stable plaque using noninvasive imaging modalities when compared to histology in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Medline Ovid, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive imaging modalities (CT, MRI, US) in the detection of 1) vulnerable/stable plaque, and 2) vulnerable/stable plaque characteristics, compared to histology. The quality of included studies was assessed by QUADAS-2 and univariate and bivariate random-effect meta-analyses were performed. We included 36 vulnerable and 5 stable plaque studies in the meta-analysis, and out of 211 plaque characteristics from remaining studies, we classified 169 as vulnerable and 42 as stable characteristics (28 CT, 120 MRI, 104 US characteristics). We found that MRI had high accuracy [90% (95% CI: 82-95%)] in the detection of vulnerable plaque, similar to CT [86% (95% CI: 76-92%); P > 0.05], whereas US showed less accuracy [80% (95% CI: 75-84%); P = 0.013]. CT showed high diagnostic accuracy in visualizing characteristics of vulnerable or stable plaques (89% and 90%) similar to MRI (86% and 89%; P > 0.05); however, US had lower accuracy (77%, P < 0.001 and 82%, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: CT and MRI have a similar, high performance in detecting vulnerable carotid plaques, whereas US showed significantly less diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, MRI visualized all vulnerable plaque characteristics allowing for a better stroke risk assessment. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID CRD42022329690.
- Klíčová slova
- carotid atherosclerosis, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, plaque instability, ultrasound,
- MeSH
- aterosklerotický plát * diagnostické zobrazování MeSH
- hodnocení rizik MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie metody MeSH
- nemoci arterie carotis diagnostické zobrazování MeSH
- počítačová rentgenová tomografie metody MeSH
- stenóza arteria carotis diagnostické zobrazování MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- metaanalýza MeSH
- systematický přehled MeSH
BACKGROUND AND OBJECITVES: The currently available kidney volume normative values in children are restricted to small populations from single-centre studies not assessing kidney function and including none or only a small number of adolescents. This study aimed to obtain ultrasound-based kidney volume normative values derived from a large European White/Caucasian paediatric population with normal kidney function. METHODS: After recruitment of 1427 children aged 0-19 years, 1396 individuals with no history of kidney disease and normal estimated glomerular filtration rate were selected for the sonographic evaluation of kidney volume. Kidney volume was correlated with age, height, weight, body surface area and body mass index. Kidney volume curves and tables related to anthropometric parameters were generated using the LMS method. Kidney volume predictors were evaluated using multivariate regression analysis with collinearity checks. RESULTS: No clinically significant differences in kidney volume in relation to height were found between males and females, between supine and prone position and between left and right kidneys. Males had, however, larger age-related kidney volumes than females in most age categories. For the prediction of kidney volume, the highest coefficient correlation was observed for body surface area (r = 0.94), followed by weight (r = 0.92), height (r = 0.91), age (r = 0.91), and body mass index (r = 0.67; p < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: This study presents LMS-percentile curves and tables for kidney volume which can be used as reference values for children aged 0-19 years.
- Klíčová slova
- Children, Kidney, Kidney volume, Normal references, Ultrasonography,
- MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- hodnoty glomerulární filtrace MeSH
- index tělesné hmotnosti MeSH
- kojenec MeSH
- ledviny * diagnostické zobrazování anatomie a histologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- novorozenec MeSH
- předškolní dítě MeSH
- referenční hodnoty MeSH
- tělesná hmotnost MeSH
- ultrasonografie * MeSH
- věkové faktory MeSH
- velikost orgánu MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- kojenec MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- novorozenec MeSH
- předškolní dítě MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- multicentrická studie MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
Arterial hypertension (HTN) in children after kidney transplantation is an important risk factor not only for graft loss but also for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of posttransplant HTN ranges between 60% and 90%. The etiology of posttransplant HTN is multifactorial and includes residual chronic native kidney disease, immunosuppressive therapy, and chronic allograft dysfunction among other causes. Clinic blood pressure (BP) should be measured at each outpatient visit. However, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is the gold standard method for BP evaluation in children after kidney transplantation, as it often reveals masked and nocturnal HTN; given this, it should be regularly performed in each transplanted child. All classes of antihypertensive drugs are used in the treatment of posttransplant HTN because it has never been proven that one class is better than another. However, in several retrospective studies, the use of calcium channel blockers is associated with better graft function. The optimal target BP for transplanted children is still a matter of debate; it is recommended to target the same BP as for healthy children, that is, <95th percentile. Control of HTN in transplanted children remains poor - only 20%-50% of treated children have normal BP. There is a great potential for improvement of antihypertensive treatment that could potentially result in improvement of both graft and patient survival in children after kidney transplantation.
- Klíčová slova
- blood pressure, hypertension, kidney, left ventricular hypertrophy, transplantation,
- MeSH
- ambulantní monitorování krevního tlaku MeSH
- antihypertenziva terapeutické užití MeSH
- chronická renální insuficience * MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- hypertenze * diagnóza farmakoterapie epidemiologie MeSH
- krevní tlak MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- transplantace ledvin * škodlivé účinky MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- Názvy látek
- antihypertenziva MeSH
