[Intimomedial thickness of the vertebral arteries complex: a new useful parameter for the assessment of atheroclerotic process?].

Background/aim: An integral part of Doppler ultrasound examination of cervical blood vessels is determination of intimomedial thicknes (IMT) of the common carotid. The aim of the study was to estimate the relations between IMT of the common carotid and vertebral arteries in order to determine if the value of IMT obtained on the vertebral artery could be applied in clinical practice.

Methods: We measured IMT in a randomized, prospective and cross-sectional study, performed on 50 persons both sexes (29 men and 21 women), at the age from 18 to 79 years (mean age 52.4 +/- 17.63 years). All the persons were healthy, what was confirmed with clinical examination and laboratory analyses. Measurements were perfomed from January 2006 until September 2008. Intimomedial thickness was recorded by two dimensional ultrasonography in B-mode on both common carotid arteries: one value was obtained as average of three successeful measurements (measurements were perform on different places). We measured IMT on the first segment of both vertebral arteries, 1.5 cm proximal from the connection of the first and second segments (we got results of the measurement of IMT on the vertebral arteries in the same way: mean value from the three records).

Results: The measured value of IMT on the common carotid arteries (IMT = 0.782 +/- 0.248 mm), obtained from 50 healthy persons, was higher than that measured on the vertabral artery on the first segment (IMT = 0.585 +/- 0.134 mm). The values of IMT after measurement on two different places were statistically highly different (t = 7.03, SD = 0.028, p < 0.01). Coefficient of variability of IMT values in carotid circulation (CV = 34.4%) was higher than that in vertebral circulation (22.9%). Values of IMT on vertebral arteries were in statistically significant correlation with those in carotid circulation (r = 0.24 and t- = 2.48; p < 0.02). There were no statistically significant difference between IMT measurement on the right and the left side so they were analysed as the same set.

Conclusion: Values of IMT on the vertebral arteries are one more undependent parameter of Doppler-sonographic examination of cervical vessels, which significantly correlates with IMT values on common carotid artery. Variability of this parameter is lower, and absolute values lower than the same in the common carotid artery. Therefore, this parameter is probably not so sensitive. On the other hand, lower variability of IMT values on the vertebral artery might be of higher specificity for prediction of atherosclerotic progress by the increased values of this parameter than based on IMT values obtained on the common carotid arteries.