1. Measurement of Common Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness in Clinical Practice: Comparison of B-Mode and RF-Based Technique
- Author
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Arnold P.G. Hoeks, Werner H. Mess, J. M. Hameleers, Floris H.B.M. Schreuder, and M. Graf
- Subjects
Carotid Artery Diseases ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Carotid Artery, Common ,Radio Waves ,Carotid arteries ,Automation ,Reference Values ,Risk Factors ,medicine.artery ,parasitic diseases ,medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,cardiovascular diseases ,Common carotid artery ,Aged ,Ultrasonography ,Reproducibility ,business.industry ,fungi ,Ultrasound ,Reproducibility of Results ,Middle Aged ,Atherosclerosis ,medicine.disease ,Clinical Practice ,Stenosis ,Intima-media thickness ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,cardiovascular system ,Female ,Radiology ,Radio frequency ,Artifacts ,Tunica Intima ,Tunica Media ,Nuclear medicine ,business ,Software - Abstract
PURPOSE The common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) is usually measured using B-mode ultrasound images. A different approach for CCA-IMT detection is based on radio frequency (RF) multiple M-line analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study explores the relationship between B-mode and RF measurement of CCA-IMT, as well as the reproducibility of both methods in 136 patients recently diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Within one session, repeated measurements were made in the distal CCA bilaterally, using the B-mode (averaged over 10 mm) and RF technique (averaging 12 M-lines over 14 mm). RESULTS The two methods correlate well (Pearson r = 0.765). The CCA-IMT values measured with B-mode and RF were 0.779 +/- 0.196 mm and 0.734 +/- 0.172 mm, respectively. B-mode CCA-IMT is significantly larger than RF CCA-IMT (mean difference of 0.045 mm, SEM 7.8 microm; t = 5.82; p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression analysis, carotid artery stenosis, inhomogeneous IMT and diabetes mellitus were the main predictors of differences between B-mode and RF CCA-IMT. The intrapatient variation for B-mode and RF-based CCA-IMT is comparable (0.05 +/- 0.04 mm and 0.07 +/- 0.05 mm, respectively). CONCLUSION CCA-IMT values measured with RF and B-mode have similar reproducibility and exhibit acceptable correlation, but RF CCA-IMT is significantly smaller. The difference between both methods is mainly due to advanced atherosclerosis. Hence, both methods can be used reliably to measure CCA-IMT in clinical practice.
- Published
- 2009