Noninvasive Ultrasound Imaging of Carotid Intima Thickness

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Contemporary Cardiology book series (CONCARD)

Abstract

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the West and is a rapidly growing problem worldwide. Long subclinical incubation period of atherosclerosis and earliest involvement of the vessel wall provide an opportunity to evaluate the presence of atherosclerosis by imaging arterial wall and initiate treatment measures. Assessment of thickness of intima-media layer of the vessel wall as well as early plaques by ultrasound is the most sensitive, reliable, noninvasive, and safe method to detect those at risk. Carotid artery vessel wall assessment in the form of intima-media thickness (IMT) has been identified since the late 1970s as a sensitive tool to detect atherosclerosis, predict its sequelae, and detect its progression and regression. Recent studies have shown that the presence of carotid plaques is also a strong predictor of disease, independent of carotid IMT. The technique has been recommended by writing groups such as American Heart Association as a useful tool for risk stratification in those with unclear or intermediate risk of cardiovascular disease. Validated reference databases exist for reporting purposes. Several automated robust softwares are now available that allow automated measurement of IMT by edge detection algorithms.

Key words

Carotid Artery Intima-media thickness Plaque Ultrasound Vessel 
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© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUSA

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