Assesment of Carotid Stenosis with CT Angiography and Color Doppler Ultrasonography

Abstract

Introduction: Color Doppler and CT angiography are diagnostic methods commonly used to determine the degree of carotid stenosis.

Aim: To evaluate how the degree of carotid stenosis determined by the Color Doppler correlates with the degree of stenosis determined by the CT angiography.

Material and methods: The study was designed as a retrospective study. It included 42 patients with carotid stenosis. From medical records we collected anamnestic data (gender, age and risk factors - hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking and obesity) and the results regarding the degree of carotid stenosis determined by Color Doppler and CT angiography.

Results: Out of the total number of patients (n=42), 73.8% were males and 26.2% were females. Average age of examined patients was 65.24±8.61. Most frequent risk factor of atherosclerosis was hypertension, followed by hyperlipidemia and smoking. NASCET grading distinguishes: first (0-29%), second (30-69%) and third (70-99%) degree of carotid stenosis. According to the Color Doppler evaluation findings, the second degree had 8 patients and 34 patients had the third degree of carotid stenosis. CT angiography have shown that 35 patients had third degree carotid stenosis, while 7 patients had the second degree carotid stenosis. In only one case results of evaluated methods differed regarding assessment of carotid stenosis. We have found that there is a significant positive correlation of the degree of carotid stenosis determined by the Color Doppler with the degree of stenosis determined by CT angiography (p=0.0002). Risk factors of atherosclerosis did not have a significant correlation with the degree of carotid stenosis (p>0.05).

Conclusion: The degree of carotid stenosis estimated by the Color Doppler positively correlates with the degree of stenosis estimated by CT angiography.

Keywords: CT angiography; Color Doppler; atherosclerosis; carotid stenosis.