Abstract
Purpose: Generally, atherosclerosis forms in a specific region, e.g., bifurcation of a large artery. Therefore, we often encounter plaque formation in one side of the carotid sinus (CS). Thus, we investigated whether or not the diameter and angle of the carotid artery impact plaque formation in CS using carotid ultrasound. Subjects and Methods: The candidates for this study were 655 subjects who underwent carotid ultrasound at Teramotokinen Nisitenma Clinic between April 2009 and March 2010. Exclusion criteria were plaque formation on both sides of the CS, unclear connection between the common carotid artery (CCA) and the CS, plaque formation or wall thickening of the CCA, and severe stenosis or total occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Eligible data from 100 subjects were ultimately used for this study. We analyzed relationships between plaque formation and CCA diameter (CCAd), CS diameter (CSd), ratio of CSd to CCAd (CS/CCA), angle between CCA and CS (angle), mean intima-media thickening, and velocity. We defined side with plaque formation as the positive side (P side) and the intact side as the negative side (N side), and compared factors between the two sides. Results and Discussion: We found that angle, CSd, and CS/CCA on the P side were significantly higher as compared with the N side. The present study demonstrated that vessel diameter and angle might influence shear stress, resulting in involvement in plaque formation in the CS. Conclusion: Our findings confirmed that the diameter of the CS and the angle between the CCA and the CS play a role in plaque formation in the CS.
