Study of Carotid Arteries in Diabetic Patients Using Gray Scale and Color Doppler Sonography

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus is one of risk factors that cause carotid arteries atherosclerosis which occurs when lipoprotein accumulates in the intima of the artery. As atherosclerosis progresses it may completely occlude the artery lumen or plaque may rupture sending thrombus more distal, resulting in Transient Ischemic Attack or stroke. The aim of this study was to assess the Carotid Arteries in adult Sudanese patients with Diabetes Mellitus, 200 participants were enrolled in the study; they were scanned using ultrasound machine Siemens Sonoline G 60S with linear probe of (7-10 MHz) in Ribat Hospital from 11/2014 to 11/2016. The sample scanned to visualize the carotid arteries in the supine position with knee support, the neck scanning was enhanced by titling and rotating the head away from the side being examined as with possible adjustment for the position of the head and neck during the examination to facilitate visualization of the carotid arteries. Intima-Media-Thickness (IMT), Caliper, peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), End Diastolic Velocity (EDV), pulsatility index (PI) and Resistive Index (RI) were measured. Maximum value of IMT in CAs increased with age and duration of DM, in Rt CCA it begins at 1.2 mm in first age group and ended in 1.9 mm for age and duration in last age group, while for Lt CCA from 1.4mm to 2mm for age and 1.4mm to 2.1mm for duration, the external calipers like IMT increased with increased in age and duration while there is no correlation with PSV, EDV, RI and PI in normal participants while in plaques conditions IMT show positive correlation with Doppler parameters. The outcomes of this study suggest that gray scale and Doppler ultrasound are a good tools to evaluate and assessment carotid arteries in diabetic patients and predict the degree and severity of atherosclerosis. v Statistically IMT and carotid calipers showed strong positive correlation with age and duration of diabetes and they consider as a good marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. While there is no correlation between PSV, EDV, RI and PI with age and duration of diabetes in healthy participates while in plaques conditions there is a linear correlation between PSV, EDV and IMT.