The study aimed to determine the normal range of the intima-media thickness that was measured in common carotid artery and carotid groove and evaluate the changes in measurement with age in 200 healthy adults (113 males, 87 females, from 15 to 93 years old) between August 1998 and December 1999. Results: On average, the intima-media thickness is 0.7+/-0.16 mm in common carotid artery and is 0.87+/-0.25 mm in carotid groove. There is not difference in the intima-media thickness of common carotid and carotid groove between left and right. The intima-media thickness of both common carotid artery and carotid groove is increased over age. There is a linear correlation between the intima-media thickness with age. The intima-media thickness of common carotid artery, but not of carotid groove, is higher in men than in women
ultrasonography ; Carotid Arteries

200 persons, average age is 59,27 (from 15-93) without vascular risk factors were studied by colour Duplex scanning. Results showed that average systolic velocity in common carotid arteries is 81,14 +/- 14,67 cm/s, average diastolic velocity is 23,27 +/- 5,15 cm/s, average diastolic velocity is 25,53 +/- 5,21 cm/s. Average systolic velocity in vertebral arteries is 42,58 +/- 7,73cm/s, average diastolic velocity is 14,68 +/- 3,63 cm/s. No statistic significantly difference of these parameters between men and women. No statistic difference of these parameters between right and left side. Systolic and diastolic velocities in common and internal carotid arteries decrease significantly with age. Other parameters do not change clearly with age
ultrasonography ; Carotid Arteries

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the association between the common polymorphisms of the adiponectin gene(ACDC) and the intima-media thickness(IMT) of the common carotid arteries in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: The B mode ultrasound examination of carotid artery was performed on 133 type 2 diabetic patients. The carotid IMT was calculated using the Intimascope computer program. The SNP45 and SNP276 of the ACDC were examined. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the carotid IMT among the SNP45 genotypes(0.66+/-0.18mm for TT, 0.71+/-0.12mm for TG and 0.64+/-0.15mm for GG, P=NS). Subjects carrying the SNP276 GG genotype had a markedly lower serum adiponectin concentration than those carrying the TT genotype(3.35+/-2.00microgram/mL vs. 4.98+/-2.24microgram/mL, P=0.029) The carotid IMT was significantly higher in patients with the SNP276 GG genotype than those with the TT genotype (0.70+/-0.17mm vs. 0.59+/-0.13mm, P=0.032). Patients with the +45GG/+276GG genotype combination showed significantly higher mean carotid IMT than the other genotype combinations(0.78+/-0.09mm vs. 0.71+/-0.15mm, P=0.013) CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the adiponectin gene, SNP276 is associated with the carotid IMT in type 2 diabetic patients. Further studies are will be needed to confirm these genotypephenotype associations.
Adiponectin* ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Genotype ; Humans ; Ultrasonography

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the carotids has recently emerged as a complementary examination to conventional carotid Doppler ultrasonography. It is an examination providing improved visualization of the vascular lumen, more accurate and detailed delineation of the vascular wall, and identification of atherosclerotic plaques. Moreover, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography has specific advantages over conventional ultrasonography and plays an important role in the diagnosis of the vulnerable carotid plaque, as it can identify intraplaque neovascularization and carotid plaque ulceration. Given the specific advantages and improved imaging of the carotids provided by this method, radiologists should be familiar with it. This pictorial essay illustrates the advantages of this technique and discusses its value in the imaging of carotid arteries.
Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Stenosis ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Ulcer ; Ultrasonography* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

Carotid Doppler ultrasonography is a popular tool for evaluating atherosclerosis of the carotid artery. Its two-dimensional gray scale can be used for measuring the intima-media thickness, which is very good biomarker for atherosclerosis and can aid in plaque characterization. The plaque morphology is related to the risk of stroke. The ulceration of plaque is also known as one of the strong predictors of future embolic event risk. Color Doppler ultrasonography and pulse Doppler ultrasonography have been used for detecting carotid artery stenosis. Doppler ultrasonography has unique physical properties. The operator should be familiar with the physics and other parameters of Doppler ultrasonography to perform optimal Doppler ultrasonography studies.
Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Stenosis ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Stroke ; Ulcer ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

BACKGROUND: Prehypertension is a precursor of clinical hypertension and tends to increase in severity over time. Structural vascular changes have not been much investigated in adults with prehypertension. METHODS: We investigated the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in prehypertensive adults, pharmacologically untreated, compared with normotensive and hypertensive patients. Mean and maximum carotid IMT were obtained from six far walls of the common carotid, the bifurcation, and the internal carotid artery on both sides of the neck with high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. RESULTS: Mean IMT was largest in the carotid bifurcation, followed by the common carotid and the internal carotid artery in all groups. Hypertensives had higher mean IMT values at all locations than normotensive controls. In prehypertensive adults, the mean and maximum IMT values were significantly higher than in normotensive controls. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the mean and maximum carotid IMT between prehypertensive adults and patients with stage 1 hypertension. The prevalence of plaques was 15.7% in prehypertensive adults, compared with 4.4% in controls, 22.2% in stage 1 hypertensives, and 29.4% in stage 2 hypertensives. CONCLUSION: Prehypertensive adults had thicker mean carotid IMT than normotensive controls and exhibited similarly abnormal carotid structure as the patients with stage 1 hypertension. These results suggest we need the continuous evaluation for early clinical detection and intervention of prehypertension.
Adult* ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Neck ; Prehypertension ; Prevalence ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Acute adaptive vascular remodeling occurs in active and unstable inflammatory plaques. It has been suggested that the adaptive coronary vascular remodeling, in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), may be systemic and may show similar vascular remodeling in the carotid arteries. We investigated the ultrasonographic features of the common carotid artery (CCA) to determine whether the arterial expansive remodeling found in the coronary artery occurs in the carotid arteries of patients with ACS. METHODS: We measured lumen diameter (LD), interadventitial diameter (IAD) and intima media thickness (IMT) using a B-mode ultrasound in both common carotid arteries in patients with ACS (N=74) and chronic stable angina (CSA) (N=31). Positive remodeling was arbitrarily defined as an IMTmax >1 mm and IAD >8 mm and negative remodeling as an IMTmax >1 mm and IAD <7 mm. Other values were defined as "no remodeling" RESULTS: There were no significant differences in LD IAD and maximal IMT of the right CCA and the left CCA in comparisons between the ACS and the CSA patient groups. There were no differences for number of cases with no remodeling or differences in positive and negative remodeling in the right common carotid artery and left common carotid artery in comparisons between the ACS and CSA patient groups. . Presence of plaque in both common carotid arteries showed similar frequency in the ACS and CSA patient groups. The characteristics of carotid artery plaques were not different in the two groups. The remodeling index (IAD/LD) was correlated with IMTmax (right CCA r=0.797, p<0.001; left CCA r=0.860, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The common carotid arterial structure of ACS patients was not different from that of CSA patients. Therefore, these results suggest that the expansive arterial remodeling, due to coronary inflammatory plaques, appears to take place locally rather than systemically.
Acute Coronary Syndrome* ; Angina, Stable* ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: The present study was aimed at defining the topological characteristics of the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in hypertensives, and to delineate whether the characteristics were different from those of non-hypertensive vascular risk factors. METHODS: B-mode carotid ultrasonography was performed in 33 participants who were devoid of stroke, ischemic heart disease, and carotid plaques. Longitudinal carotid images were obtained at 6 angular sites, 0 degree indexed adjacent to the external carotid artery (ECA) side from axial image crossing both internal carotid artery (ICA) and ECA, and then 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 225 degrees, and 270 degrees. From the level of the flow divider, with an interval of 5 mm, up to 15 mm proximally, all the carotid IMT was measured. The IMT was then analyzed according to the levels and angles and compared according to either of hypertension or non-hypertension vascular risk factors. RESULTS: The carotid IMT showed asymmetric distributions in both the hypertension and non-hypertension risk groups. The IMT difference according to hypertension was observed better in the right carotid artery than the left. The right carotid IMT in the hypertension group showed significantly higher values at the most levels, and especially at 0 degree and 180 degrees of angular sites. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to understand the different topological characteristics of the carotid IMT according to the presence of hypertension, for a better reproducibility and predictability of the ultrasonic carotid IMT measurement.
Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, External ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness* ; Hypertension ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Ultrasonics ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We performed this study to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of the newly developed Korean software (KS) for measurement of the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), which was compared with the commercial software. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 60 consecutive patients (mean of 59 years old, 27 males) undergoing transthoracic echocardiography. We measured the carotid IMT using both software packages, and also measured the intima thickness (IT) and media thickness (MT), separately, using the KS package. RESULTS: Measurement of the IMT was possible in all the study subjects with both software packages, but the separate measurements of the IT and MT was possible in only 24 patients using the KS package. The mean IMT using the commercial and KS packages were 0.727+/-0.157 and 0.733+/-0.156 mm, respectively, which were found to correlate (r=0.985, p=0.000). The mean IMT, IT and MT of the 24 patients were 0.841+/-0.138, 0.340+/-0.033 and 0.505+/-0.124 mm, respectively. The carotid IMT was correlated with the IT and MT and also with the IT/IMT, MT/IMT and IT/MT ratios (r=0.562, p=0.004; r=0.934, p=0.000; r=-0.809, p=0.000; r=0.591, p=0.002; r=-0.754, p=0.000, respectively). The IT was found not to correlate with the MT (r=0.369, p=0.076). Age was found to correlate with the IMT using both the commercial and KS packages (r=0.616, p=0.000; r=0.583, p=0.000, respectively), and with the MT and IT/IMT and IT/MT ratios (r=0.504, p=0.012; r=-0.538, p=0.007; r=-0.428, p=0.037), but not with the IT (r=0.300, p=0.154). CONCLUSION: The newly developed KS was feasible and accurate in measuring the carotid IMT, which can also be used to separately measure the IT and MT.
Aging ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: We compared non-invasive imaging studies of CTA, TOF-MRA and CE-MRA to evaluate detecting internal carotid artery stenosis and occlusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 20 patients with clinically suspected internal carotid artery stenosis and occlusion, or asymptomatic patient with more than 50% stenosis suspected on color Doppler ultrasonography for regular check-up. Prospectively, CTA, TOF-MRA and CE-MRA were performed, and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of TOF-MRA and CE-MRA using CTA as a reference standard for detecting more than 50% stenosis were evaluated, and correlations of measured percent stenosis between 3 imaging studies were also evaluated. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between 3 imaging studies in measuring stenosis(p>0.05). Correlation coefficient was 0.932 between CTA and TOF-MRA, and 0.971 between CTA and CE-MRA. TOF-MRA had 83.3% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, 71.4% positive predictive value, 93.3% negative predictive value and 86.4% accuracy for detecting more than 50% stenosis and occlusion. CE-MRA had 83.3% sensitivity, 93.8% specificity, 83.3% positive predictive value, 93.8% negative predictive value and 90.9% accuracy. CONCLUSION: TOF-MRA and CE-MRA provided high correlations in the evaluation of internal carotid artery stenosis and occlusion.
Angiography ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Stenosis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color