Does the internal jugular vein affect the elasticity of the common carotid artery?

Cardiovascular Ultrasound

Research

Monika Winnicka¹  Michał Polguj¹  Maciej Łukaszewski²  Piotr Grzelak³  Ludomir Stefańczyk³  Michał Podgórski³ 

[1] Department of Angiology, Chair of Anatomy, Medical University of Lodz, 60, Narutowicza St, Lodz, Poland;Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital Research Institute, 281/289, Rzgowska St, Lodz, Poland;Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Medical University of Lodz, 22, Kopcińskiego St., Barlicki Hospital, Lodz, Poland;

关键词: Atherosclerosis;    Arterial stiffness;    2D-Speckle tracking;    β-Stiffness index;    Carotid artery;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12947-016-0084-1

 received in 2016-07-12, accepted in 2016-09-09,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundArterial stiffness is an early marker of atherosclerosis. The carotid arteries are easily accessible by ultrasound and are commonly used for the evaluation of atherosclerosis development. However, this stiffness assessment is based on the elastic properties of the artery, which may be influenced by the adjacent internal jugular vein (IJV).The aim of the present study is to evaluate the influence of internal jugular vein morphology on the stiffness of the common carotid artery.MethodsBilateral carotid ultrasound was performed in 248 individuals. When no carotid plaque was detected (90.9 % cases), the distensibility coefficient and β - stiffness index were calculated. The global and segmental circumferential strain parameters of the carotid wall were evaluated with 2D-Speckle Tracking. The cross-sectional area of the IJV and degree of its adherence to the carotid wall (angle of adherence) were measured.ResultsThe morphology of the IJV did not influence the standard stiffness parameters nor the global circumferential strain. However, segmental analysis found the sector adjacent to the IJV to have significantly higher strain parameters than its opposite counterpart. In addition, the strain correlated significantly and positively with IJV cross-sectional area and angle of adherence.ConclusionsThe movement of the carotid artery wall caused by the passage of the pulse wave is not homogeneous. The greatest strain is observed in a segment adjacent to the IJV, and the degree of wall deformation is associated with the size of the vein and the degree of its adherence.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016