Ultraschall in der Medizin : Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ultraschall in der Medizin, [der] Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Ultraschall in der Medizin, [der] Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Ultraschall in Medizin und Biologie
-
An early sign of atherosclerosis is hypertrophy of the arterial wall. Increased intima-media thickness (IMT) is a non-invasive marker of arterial wall alteration, which can easily be assessed in the carotid arteries by high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. There are important differences in B-mode measurements of carotid IMT between laboratories. ⋯ In conclusion, high-resolution Duplex-sonography seems promising for the detection, quantification and serial investigations of structural alterations of the arterial wall. The method is sensitive enough to be applied in clinical studies of the progression and regression of early preintrusive atherosclerotic lesions in extracranial carotid arteries. Moreover IMT of the common carotid artery can be used as a therapeutic endpoint.