Abstract:

Objective: To investigate the relationship between carotid artery disease detected by 64-slice computed tomography angiography (CTA) and the common carotid artery (CCA) in carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) followed by ultrasonography (US). Material and Methods: The study included 214 cases that were referred for coronary CTA. Sixty-four-slice CTA in all cases was performed with the examination for the presence of CAD, Gensini score (GS) was performed. After 64-slice CTA in all cases, the CCA IMT was evaluated by US devices. The evaluation of the CTA and US examination were performed by two radiologists who are independent of each other. Spearman's correlation test for the evaluation of IMT and plaque, ROC analysis, linear regression graphs and charts were used. Results: Of 214 patients, 94 were male, and 120 of them were women. The average age was 55.112 ± 0.74. In females average GS was 5.35 ± 0.715, in men it was 8.94 ± 1.038. Gender, age, average-IMT and maximum-IMT were found to be correlated with the GS. The GS and the presence of plaque, and age and plaque were significantly correlated. Conclusion: We have found a significant correlation between GS and age, increasing CAD risk in older ages. In addition, the average-IMT and the highest-value were significantly correlated with plaque and GS. In addition, we suggest the formation of carotid artery plaque or increased IMT (arteriosclerotic changes) are essential in predicting CAD. Population-based studies for early detection of CAD with the use of IMT as a screening test could yield promising findings