Assessment of carotid atherosclerosis, intraplaque neovascularization, and plaque ulceration using quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Patients with DM have a high prevalence (90%) of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. Severe IPN and plaque ulceration, which are markers of the vulnerable plaque type, were detected in, respectively, 13 and 9% of these patients.