Plaque neovascularization detected with contrast‐enhanced ultrasound predicts ischaemic stroke recurrence in patients with carotid atherosclerosis

Background and purpose Plaque neovascularization is a hallmark of carotid plaque vulnerability. With contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) it is possible to visualize plaque neovessels in vivo. Our aim was to determine if CEUS‐detected neovessels were associated with stroke recurrences in patients with a recent stroke and carotid atherosclerosis. Methods We conducted a prospective study of consecutive patients with a recent stroke and at least one atherosclerotic plaque in the internal carotid artery on the side consistent with symptoms. All of our patients underwent a carotid ultrasound examination including a CEUS study. Neovascularization was graded into three categories according to the extent of neovessels. During the follow‐up, we recorded stroke recurrences. A multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate predictors of recurrence. Results We included 78 patients whose mean age was 74.3 ± 10.4 years. There were 29 (37.2%) patients with a low‐grade stenosis (