Decreased carotid intima-media thickness in patients with coronary artery ectasia compared with patients with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Although atherosclerosis is supposed to be responsible for more than 50% of coronary artery ectasia, the precise pathology of coronary artery ectasia is not clearly understood. A histopathological examination of ectatic segments has revealed mainly destruction of the media layer of the artery. In the present study, we assessed carotid intima-media thickness and common carotid artery diameter in patients with and without coronary artery ectasia.


METHODS
Thirty-five consecutive patients with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease and 35 age and sex-matched patients with coronary artery disease alone were included in the study. The common carotid artery was studied as the longitudinal plane within 10 mm from the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. The intima-media thickness was measured in the far wall at end-diastole from the B-mode screen to a point within the 10-mm segment proximal to the bifurcation by one investigator blinded to clinical data.


RESULTS
No significant differences with respect to age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and smoking habits were observed between the two groups studied. Intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery of the patients with coronary artery ectasia was significantly lower than that of the patients with coronary artery disease alone (0.71 +/- 0.13 vs. 0.77 +/- 0.09 mm, respectively, P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Decreased intima-media thickness of the carotid artery in patients with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease may have pathogenic mechanisms different from coronary artery disease per se.
Yetkin
Ertan
E
Department of Cardiology, Inonu University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey. eryetkin@ttnet.net.tr
Acikgoz
Nusret
N
Aksoy
Yuksel
Y
Bariskaner
Emrah
E
Sivri
Nasir
N
Akturk
Erdal
E
Turhan
Hasan
H
Kosar
Feridun
F
Cehreli
Sengul
S
D000368:Aged; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography