Background: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) provides endoluminal views and cross-sectional images of carotid arteries but lacks overview of vascular territory provided by angiography. Co-registration of IVUS with angiographic images may provide the potential to navigate both imaging modalities in a synchronous manner. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of co-registering both imaging modalities in the carotid vasculature of the neck.
Methods: Fourteen patients with 15 cervical carotid artery lesions underwent angiography and subsequent treatment. In each case, an IVUS catheter was advanced to the target lesion and a reference angiography sequence was acquired. This was followed by an electrocardiography-triggered fluoroscopy sequence that was initiated upon IVUS catheter pullback. IVUS data collected during pullback were registered with fluoroscopy and evaluated for error and clinical usability.
Results: A total of 32 landmarks were identified that demonstrated reasonable agreement during IVUS-angiography co-registration. There was a mean registration error distance of 3.36 mm (SD 2.82 mm) between targets. The longitudinal extent and severity of the disease through the target segment could be easily evaluated after co-registration.
Conclusion: Semiautomatic tracking and co-registration of angiography and IVUS is a new technology and has the potential to increase the use of IVUS in carotid disease and to proivde the opportunity to optimize procedural outcomes.
Keywords: Carotid artery stenosis; Co-registration; Intravascular imaging; Intravascular ultrasound.
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