Relationship Between Intima-Media Thickness in the Common Carotid Artery and Atherosclerosis in the Carotid Bifurcation

Abstract

Background and Purpose-An increase in intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid artery (CCA) is commonly used as a marker of atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between IMT in the CCA and atherosclerosis in the carotid bifurcation. Methods-182 consecutive patients (mean age, 67 years) referred for carotid duplex scanning were included. We measured IMT and classified plaques by means of a high-resolution ultrasound technique. Results-IMT was correlated to age, male gender, ischemic heart disease, and presence of plaques or stenoses in any of the carotid bifurcations. In men, IMT was larger on the left than on the right side. Plaques were seen in 163 carotid bifurcations, in 45 of these with Ͼ50% stenosis. On the left side but not on the right, there was a correlation between IMT in the CCA and presence of plaques or stenoses in the carotid bifurcation. Echogenic plaques were more common than echolucent, but the latter caused significantly more stenoses. No relationship was found between plaque echogenicity and IMT. Conclusions-IMT of the CCA is correlated to the degree of atherosclerosis in the carotid bifurcations in general and on the left side also to the presence of plaques or stenoses in the left carotid bifurcation. Our results support earlier observations suggesting faster development of carotid atherosclerosis on the left than on the right side. Echogenic plaques were more common and generally smaller than echolucent plaques, but there was no correlation between plaque echogenicity and IMT. (Stroke. 1998;29:1378-1382.)

Is Carotid Atherosclerosis More Important in Patients With Mitral Annular Calcification Than in Those Without?

“…15) Rosfors, et al have shown that increased carotid intima-media thickness was associated with advanced atherosclerosis at the carotid bifurcation. 21) In some studies, the severity of the stenosis of the carotid atheroma plaques and the number of these plaques were taken into consideration. 18,22) In our study, we defined (n = 27) (n = 31) P Patients without CAS (n = 58)…”

Polymorphism R92Q of the tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 gene is associated with myocardial infarction and carotid intima-media thickness – The ECTIM, AXA, EVA and GENIC Studies

“…Increased IMT is in general considered as an important correlate of atherosclerosis. 11,19 The lack of association between the R92Q polymorphism and ischaemic stroke in the GENIC Study may be explained by the lower statistical power of the GENIC Study as compared to the ECTIM Study, especially if the association existed only in a subcategory of stroke. This reduced power would, however, be partially compensated by the higher frequency of the 92Q allele in GENIC than in ECTIM.…”

Ultrasonic Evaluation of Common Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (IMT) Influence of Local Plaque on the Relationship Between IMT and Age

“…Second, the reproducibility of IMT-CCA measurement is also higher than IMT in the bulbs (IMT-BLB) 2,3,16,19), Third, influences of local nonlaminar turbulent blood flow are less in the CCA than in the bifurcation 3). Hence, IMT-CCA measurement might be better for the assessment of general age-related changes in arteries in epidemiological studies 1,2,3) However, the definition of the IMT-CCA in previous studies has not been uniform 20). Some studies defined the IMT-CCA at the maximum point in the IMT 2,3,21) and others defined it as the mean of several fixed points [22][23][24].…”