Carotid Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease-Related Pulmonary Hypertension Assessed with Radio Frequency Data Technique.
BACKGROUND
It has been well known that pulmonary hypertension (PH) caused by congenital heart disease (CHD) leads to reduced flexibility of the small pulmonary arteries, due to hemodynamic changes in the pulmonary circulation and alterations of the vasoactive profile. However, whether CHD-related PH affects the elasticity of the systemic arteries, such as the common carotid artery (CCA), has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to explore the CCA stiffness in patients with CHD-related PH using the radio frequency data technique.


METHODS
Forty patients with CHD were included. They were divided into PH and non-PH (NPH) groups by the right heart catheter-determined or regurgitation velocity-determined mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP). MyLabTwice (Esaote, Genoa, Italy) ultrasound machine equipped with automatic quality intima-media thickness (QIMT) and quality arterial stiffness (QAS) capabilities was used to measure the left common carotid arterial (CCA) intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness parameters.


RESULTS
The results have shown that the left CCA internal diameter, pulse wave velocity, arterial wall tension, and local diastolic pressure were increased in the CHD-related PH group compared with the CHD-related NPH group (all P < 0.05). The left CCA internal diameter negatively and significantly correlated with the mean PAP.


CONCLUSIONS
Common carotid artery diameter and stiffness increase in patients with CHD-related pulmonary hypertension. QIMT and QAS ultrasound techniques may provide a comprehensive assessment of the CCA remodeling.
Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Ying
Y
Hou
Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Li-Jun
LJ
Yuan
Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Chang-Yang
CY
Xing
Department of Cardiology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Fu-Jun
FJ
Shang
Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Yun-You
YY
Duan
D000328:Adult; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*
arterial stiffness; congenital heart disease; pulmonary hypertension; vascular ultrasound