[Media-intima thickness: what is it? how is it measured? what is its clinical significance? what are the pending problems?].
During the past 20 years, several hundred peer-reviewed publications have documented the critical scientific steps in the determination of the usefulness of B-mode ultrasound measurements of the carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) for the detection and monitoring of artery wall atherosclerotic disease. Since the initial validation study of the IMT, carotid ultrasound IMT measurements have been performed in a large number of individuals with "traditional" and "non traditional" cardiovascular risk factors, have been shown to correlate with the severity of atherosclerotic lesions in other vascular territories, and have been used as outcome measures in clinical trials evaluating the various effects of treatment on the progression/regression of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, in longitudinal studies, carotid IMT has been shown to be an independent predictor of stroke and coronary events. However, before this powerful indicator of arterial wall atherosclerotic disease can be used in clinical settings as a routine test for the prediction of an individual's cardiovascular risk, some unresolved issues need to be addressed.
De Michele
M
M
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università degli Studi Federico II, Napoli. demic@libero.it
Guarini
P
P
Gaeta
G
G
Cuomo
S
S
D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography