Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 44 No. 3, 2005.
Original scientific paper
Beta Stiffness Index by Three-Dimensional Ultrasound
Miljenka-Jelena Jurašić
Arijana Lovrenčić-Huzjan
Rada Šarac
Vida Demarin
Abstract
Beta stiffness index is the most common marker for assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to explore the new technique of three-dimensional ultrasound for carotid stiffness evaluation. This pilot investigation was conducted in ten healthy volunteers. Measurements were performed in common carotid artery (CCA) on an Aloka 5500-SSD Prosound ultrasound platform in B and M modes. Data were collected freehandedly over 10 seconds and post processing analysis was performed using TomTec Imaging software. Beta indexes were mathematically computed and statistically evaluated by use of nonparametric statistics for two related samples. There were nine women and one man aged 39.3±9.23 years. There was one borderline hypertensive subject and four subjects were active smokers. The mean body mass index was 23.85±5.83 kg/m2, and mean intima-media thickness on CCA bilaterally 0.42±0.063 mm. Statistically, comparison between conventional and three-dimensional ultrasound corroborated consistency in the left CCA (p>0.05). This investigation proved that three-dimensional ultrasound could be used as a complementary method for evaluation of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, with a greater sensitivity in the left CCA.
Keywords
Arteries - physiology; Carotid arteries - ultrasonography; Carotid artery diseases - ultrasonography; Imaging, three-dimensional; Atherosclerosis - diagnosis; Elasticity
Hrčak ID:
14266
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2005.
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