title: "One-stop-shop" ultrasound diagnosis of functional, structural and physicomechanical properties of the brachial artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis comprises endothelial dysfunction, thickening as well as impaired compliance of the arterial vessel wall. Early assessment of these alterations of the vessel wall at the same site of the vascular tree has yet been hampered by the lack of highly sensitive diagnostic approaches suitable for clinical routine. We therefore aimed to develop and validate a single non-invasive examination of the brachial artery for simultaneous and highly accurate measurement of functional, structural and physicomechanical parameters of the brachial artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 healthy individuals were investigated using high resolution ultrasound. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD), fractional diameter changes (FDC) and intima-media-thickness (IMT) were measured in the same segment of the brachial artery. Coefficients of variation, day-to-day-variability, between- and within-observer-variability were investigated in 5 individuals. All measurements were performed manually and by an automated PC-based analyzing system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean values for all measured parameters were 7.65 +/- 0.8% for FMD, 0.02 +/- 0.002 for FDC, 0.351 +/- 0.007 mm for IMT and followed an even distribution throughout the study population. Automated analysis of coefficient of variation, day-to-day-, between- and within-observer variabilities were: 0. 78%, 1.3%, 0.8%, 0.8% (FMD); 4.7%, 2.8%, 4.2%, 2.7% (FDC); 1.8%, 1.1%, 1.9%, 1.1% (IMT). Coefficient of variation, day-to-day-, between- and within-observer variabilities for the manual readings were significantly higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional, structural and physicomechanical parameters of the brachial artery can be quantified consecutively, time-saving and highly reproducibly as an "one-stop-shop" in a single session using high resolution ultrasound with digitized post-processing. This highlights the future possibility of early, sensitive and non-invasive diagnostic testing of vascular function in patients prone to vascular disease.
authors: Medical Clinic I, Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Vascular Medicine, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Balzer
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Boos
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Rassaf
authors: Ch
authors: Ch
authors: Heiss
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Preik
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Matern
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Schoebel
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kelm
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Lauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology