Artery Research (Nov 2013)

1.3 SPATIAL INHOMOGENEITIES IN INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS OF THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEGREE OF STENOSIS IN THE INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY

  • J. Steinbuch,
  • M.T.B. Truijman,
  • A.P.G. Hoeks,
  • W.H. Mess

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2013.10.004
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 10

Abstract

Read online

Objectives. Inhomogeneities of wall characteristics may relate to plaques in a nearby vessel. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between spatial inhomogeneities of intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) and plaques in the internal carotid artery. Methods. Longitudinal B-mode ultrasound examinations of CCA were performed bilaterally on 48 patients with a recent cerebrovascular accident. IMT of CCA and its IMT inhomogeneity, defined as IMT standard deviation along the artery segment, were extracted from the ultrasound images by use of semi-automated B-mode vessel wall tracking program. Degree of stenosis was categorised in three groups: less than 30%, 30–50% and 50–70% stenosis in the internal carotid artery. Results. In total 88 arteries were examined (Table 1). Three patients and two arteries were excluded (incomplete data, extreme moving artery). Mean values and standard deviations of IMT and IMT inhomogeneity are shown in Table 1. There was no significant difference within groups in IMT and IMT inhomogeneity between both sides (Student t-test, p-value >0.05). However, a significant difference was found in the IMT inhomogeneity between the group with less than 30% stenosis and the group with 50–70% stenosis (ANOVA Bonferroni adjusted, p-value 0.016), whereas no significant difference was found in IMT between those groups. Conclusion. Spatial IMT inhomogeneity of the CCA, but not mean IMT, is associated with the degree of stenosis in the ipsilateral internal carotid artery. This research was supported by the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine and the Dutch Heart Foundation (PARISk). Degree of stenosis N Age IMT [μm] Inhomogeneity IMT [μm] <30% 26 67 ± 9 967 ± 177 135 ± 64 30–50% 39 68 ± 8 1003 ± 188 166 ± 100 50–70% 23 71 ± 8 1127 ± 399 235 ± 189 Table 1Mean values ± standard deviations of IMT and IMT inhomogeneity.