title: Determination of site-specific carotid-intima media thickness: common -carotid artery and carotid bifurcation in hypercholesterolemia patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine site specific carotid intima-media thickness: common-carotid artery and carotid bifurcation in hypercholesterolemia patients as a marker for atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with hypercholesterolemia and twenty controls were selected after getting informed consent regarding the investigation of carotid- intima media thickness by B-mode ultrasound. All the patients of hypercholesterolemia with LDL-C > 160mg/dL had family history of coronary artery diseases. This procedure was carried out in the Radiology Department of Dr. Ziauddin Hospitals. Measurement of carotid -intima media thickness, B-mode ultrasonography of common carotid artery, carotid bifurcation and internal carotid artery (left and right carotid arteries) was performed with Toshiba (M# SSA-580A/E2) ultrasound scanner with linear probe. The posterior or far wall of the carotid artery is, the distance between the leading edge first bright line (lumen -intima interface) and the leading edge of the second bright line (media-adventitia interface) of far wall was recorded as intima -media thickness. The average mean of six segments of intima-media thickness was taken as mean CIMT of right and left common carotid, bifurcation and internal carotid arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximal CIMT was significantly increased at sites common carotid, carotid bifurcation and internal carotid arteries in fifty patients with hypercholesterolemia as compared to controls. At carotid bifurcation mean of maximal CIMT was (0.9+ 0.3mm). Range of maximum CIMT in hypercholesterolemia patients was (0.8- 3.3mm) and in controls (0.4- 0.8 mm). The thickness was more frequently increased at site of bifurcation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carotid intima- media thickness in hypercholesterolemia patients was increased and carotid bifurcation was site that has shown greater increase in intima-media thickness and plaques in these patients predict high risk for atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Samia Perwaiz Khan, MBBS, M. Phil, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perwaiz Khan
authors.affiliation: Dr. Pashmina Gul, FCPS, Dr. Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Pashmina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.affiliation: Dr. Saleem Khemani, MCPS, DMRD, Dr. Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saleem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khemani
authors.affiliation: Prof. Dr. Zia Yaqub, DABIM, DABCVD, Consultant Cardiologist, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Zia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yaqub
keywords: B-mode ultrasound; BULB – Bifurcation of carotid artery; CCA- Common carotid artery; CIMT- Carotid- intima media thickness