Volume 35, Issue 12 pp. 2079-2091
REVIEW

Ultrasound assessment of carotid arteries: Current concepts, methodologies, diagnostic criteria, and technological advancements

Christopher S. G. Murray MD

Christopher S. G. Murray MD

Department of Internal Medicine, Harlem Hospital Center/Columbia University, New York, New York

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Tamanna Nahar MD

Tamanna Nahar MD

Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Harlem Hospital Center/Columbia University, New York, New York

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Hayrapet Kalashyan MD

Hayrapet Kalashyan MD

Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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Harald Becher MD

Harald Becher MD

Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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Navin C. Nanda MD

Corresponding Author

Navin C. Nanda MD

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Correspondence

Navin C. Nanda, MD, DSc (Hon), FISCU(D), Heart Station/Echocardiography Laboratories, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 01 December 2018
Citations: 52

Abstract

Following cardiac disease and cancer, stroke continues to be the third leading cause of death and disability due to chronic disease in the developed world. Appropriate screening tools are integral to early detection and prevention of major cardiovascular events. In a carotid artery, the presence of increased intima-media thickness, plaque, or stenosis is associated with increased risk of a transient ischemic attack or a stroke. Carotid artery ultrasound remains a long-standing and reliable tool in the current armamentarium of diagnostic modalities used to assess vascular morbidity at an early stage. The procedure has, over the last two decades, undergone considerable upgrades in technology, approach, and utility. This review examines in detail the current state and usage of this integrally important means of extracranial cerebrovascular assessment.

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