Arterial wall imaging.

Not so long ago atherosclerotic plaque formation was considered to be the consequence of a slow, ongoing process leading to artery stenosis or occlusion. Now it is well recognized that arterial narrowing and occlusion develop rapidly after the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque. Thus, the assessment of the vulnerability of atheromatous plaques is an important issue in ultrasound of the carotid arteries, and will be discussed in this chapter.