INTIMACAROTID INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS (CIMT)

Carotid echography, generally, is used to search for cerebrovascular pathology in symptomatic or asymptomatic patients and to quantify Carotid Stenosis using the Doppler method.

More recently it was used in epidemiological studies for Atherosclerosis research or for stratification of atherosclerotic risk or measuring intima-media thickness (see Fig.) and searching for the presence or absence of atherosclerotic plaques.

Fig. Example of CIMT ultrasound for measuring carotid intima media thickness.

 The greater the thickness of the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), the greater the cardiovascular risk.

 For example, the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study demonstrated that the risk of myocardial infarction increases by 11% for each CIMT increase of 0.1 mm.

 However providing an absolutely certain definition of abnormal CIMT, where no plaques are present, presents a problem because the intimal thickness relates to the age and to the sex of the patients examined.