Objective To explore the clinical value of real-time ultrasound elastography combined with conventional ultrasound in assessing the stability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in stroke patients. Methods Thirty-four patients with clinically confirmed stroke (stroke group) in our hospital were collected as the research object. Another 56 patients with carotid plaque but without stroke (control group) in the same period were selected as the control object for ultrasonic elastography detection, and the results were analyzed statistically. Results Thirty-four stroke patients were found 57 carotid atherosclerotic plaques, including 29 hypoechoic plaques, 21 mixed echoic plaques and 7 hyperechoic plaques; 56 control patients were found 75 carotid atherosclerotic plaques, including 22 hypoechoic plaques, 25 mixed echoic plaques and 28 hyperechoic plaques. There were significant differences between the number of plaques and the size of plaques (P<0.05). Carotid atherosclerosis low echo, mixed echo and strong echo plaque elasticity score increased in turn, the plaque hardness value increased in turn; the number of plaque scores between the two groups had statistical significance (P<0.05); for the same type of plaque hardness value between the two groups had no significant difference (P>0.05); There were significant differences in hardness values between the same types of plaques (P<0.05). Conclusion Ultrasound elastography may semi-quantitatively evaluate the stability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in stroke patients. Different types of plaques have different elastic strain rates because of different tissue components. It may effectively complement the information deficiency of conventional ultrasound examination, and then evaluate the stability of plaques.