title: Is there an association between asymmetry of carotid artery wall thickness (ACAWT) and cerebrovascular symptoms?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous publications demonstrated that multi-detector-row computed tomography Angiography (MDCTA) can evaluate the carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT). The purpose of this work was to compare the asymmetry of CAWT between carotids in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty consecutive symptomatic (males 44; median age 64) and 60 asymptomatic sex- and age-matched patients were analysed by using a 40-detector-row CT system. CAWT was calculated for both carotids in each patient and the ratio between the thicker CAWT and the contra-lateral was calculated to obtain the ACAWT index. Bland-Altman, logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Bland-Altman plot demonstrates a very good agreement between measurements with a mean difference value of 3.4% and 95% CI from -8% to 14.8%. The ACAWT was significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (with a p value of 0.0001). The ROC area under the curve was 0.742 (p = 0.001). Logistic regression model indicated that ACAWT, CAWT, stenosis degree, and fatty plaques were independent variables associated with cerebrovascular symptoms (p value, respectively, 0.0108, 0.0231, 0.0002, and 0.013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of our study indicated that the index of asymmetry in the CAWT might be used as a further parameter to stratify the risk of symptoms related to carotid artery.
authors: 1Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari -Polo di Monserrato, Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Saba
authors: Eytan
authors: E
authors: Raz
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: di Martino
authors: Jasjit S
authors: JS
authors: Suri
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Montisci
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Sanfilippo
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Piga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: CT; carotid; cerebrovascular symptoms; wall thickness