title: Longitudinal assessment of carotid atherosclerosis after Radiation Therapy using Computed Tomography: A case control Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the carotid artery plaque composition and its volume changes in a group of patients at baseline and 2 years after head and neck radiation therapy treatment (HNXRT).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, 62 patients (41 males; mean age 63 years; range 52-81) who underwent HNXRT and 40 patients (24 males; mean age 65) who underwent surgical resection of neoplasm and did not undergo HNXRT were assessed, with 2-year follow-up. The carotid artery plaque volumes, as well as the volume of the sub-components (fatty-mixed-calcified), were semiautomatically quantified. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were used to test the hypothesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the HNXRT group, there was a statistically significant increase in the total volume of the carotid artery plaques (from 533 to 746 mm(3); p = 0.001), in the fatty plaques (103 vs. 202 mm(3); p = 0.001) and mixed plaque component volume (328 vs. 419 mm(3); p = 0.034). A statistically significant variation (from 21.8 % to 27.6 %) in the percentage of the fatty tissue was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this preliminary study suggest that HNXRT promotes increased carotid artery plaque volume, particularly the fatty plaque component.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HNXRT increases carotid plaque volume. Plaque volume increase is mainly due to increase.in fatty plaque component. Patients who undergo HNXRT have a progression of carotid artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Rome la Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anzidei
authors.affiliation: Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPoint(TM) LLC, Roseville, CA, USA / Point of Care Devices, Global Biomedical Technologies, Inc., CA, USA / Electrical Engineering Department (Affl.), University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suri
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato, Cagliari, 09045, Italy. lucasaba@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato, Cagliari, 09045, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laddeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria (A.O.U.), di Cagliari, Polo di Monserrato, s.s. 554 Monserrato, Cagliari, 09045, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montisci
authors.affiliation: Monitoring and Diagnostic Division, AtheroPoint(TM) LLC, Roseville, CA, USA / Point of Care Devices, Global Biomedical Technologies, Inc., CA, USA / Electrical Engineering Department (Affl.), University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piga
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, Cagliari, 09100, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Argiolas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Rome la Sapienza, Rome, Italy.|Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Eytan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Carotid; Computed tomography; Head and neck; Radiation therapy