Role of carotid intima-media thickness in assessment of atherosclerosis: an autopsy study.
BACKGROUND
The non-invasive technique of measuring carotid artery intima-media thickness has generated considerable interest as a marker of atherosclerosis, particularly in predicting clinical coronary events and coronary artery disease. In the present study, a postmortem comparative analysis of intima-media thickness of carotid artery with coronary artery atherosclerosis has been carried out. To date no such morphological tissue studies are available from our country.


RESULTS
Right and left common carotid arteries with their branches were removed at postmortem in 40 cases with history of diabetes, hypertension or both. Intima-media thickness was measured and compared with coronary artery atherosclerosis. There were 10 control postmortem cases without history of diabetes or hypertension. Common carotid artery and internal carotid artery intima-media thickness were found to be good predictors of coronary events. There was also significant correlation (by Pearson's correlation formula) between the carotid artery intima-media thickness and the percentage of block in the coronary arteries.


CONCLUSIONS
Internal carotid artery along with common carotid artery intima-media thickness measurement is a good predictor of coronary artery disease. However, carotid artery intima-media thickness has no bearing on the status of collateral circulation of the coronary arteries.
Jashnani
Kusum D
KD
Department of Pathology, TN Medical College and BYL Nair Ch Hospital, Mumbai. kusumjash@hotmail.com
Kulkarni
Rohit R
RR
Deshpande
Jaya R
JR
D000368:Aged; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*