title: Carotid artery wall thickness and leukoaraiosis: preliminary results using multidetector row CT angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  LA is a condition caused by chronic cerebral ischemia and it represents an independent risk for stroke. The purpose of this work was to determine whether CAWT studied by using MDCTA is correlated with LA and its severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-eight patients ≥60 years of age were retrospectively studied by using multidetector row CT. Supra-aortic vessel analysis and brain CT were performed in the same procedure. In each patient, CAWT was measured with an internal digital caliper, and the presence and severity of LA were assessed. Correlation coefficients by using Spearman statistics and ROC curves were calculated. A P value < .05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measurements of the distal common CAWT ranged from 0.5 to 1.53 mm. A correlation between LA and increased CAWT was observed (Pearson correlation, 0.33; P < .001). On the basis of a threshold of 0.9 mm, an important statistical association between increased CAWT and LA (P < .0001) was found. With the same threshold, ROC curve analysis indicated a sensitivity of 55% and a specificity of 75% for LA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show a statistically significant correlation between increased CAWT and LA (and its severity).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Cagliari, Italy. lucasaba@tiscali.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pascalis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anzidei
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montisci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mallarini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*