Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection.

An abbreviated carotid intima-media thickness scanning protocol to facilitate clinical screening for subclinical atherosclerosis.

Gepner AD, Wyman RA, Korcarz CE, Aeschlimann SE, Stein JH

University of Wisconsin Atherosclerosis Imaging Research Program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA.

BACKGROUND: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) testing can assist with cardiovascular risk prediction; however, the requirement for rigorous, time-consuming protocols has limited it use in clinical practice. METHODS: Bilateral images of the common carotid artery (CCA), bulb, and internal carotid artery segments were obtained using a comprehensive scanning protocol. Three abbreviated scanning protocols were evaluated for their ability to identify patients with increased CIMT (> or = 75th percentile). RESULTS: Of 261 subjects, 134 (51.3%) had increased left or right CCA CIMT (CCA protocol), 136 (52.1%) had carotid plaque (plaque protocol), and 190 (72.7%) had plaque or at least one increased CCA CIMT (combination protocol). The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curves for the CCA (0.738) and combination protocols (0.692) were higher than the plaque protocol (0.625, P < .05). The combination protocol was 100% sensitive. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with a comprehensive scanning protocol, plaque screening with measurement of far wall CCA CIMT identifies all patients with increased CIMT.

Published 6 November 2007 in J Am Soc Echocardiogr, 20(11): 1269-75.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ultrasound Research Today. All Rights Reserved.