The structural properties of carotid arteries in carotid artery diseases – a retrospective computed tomography angiography study

Purpose
Aim of the study was to find answers to the following questions: What haemodynamic changes may occur in patients with stenotic, aneurysmal, dissection of the carotid artery and its branches? How do these changes differ in patients with normal and carotid disease?

Material and methods
In order to achieve this aim, the cranio-cervical CT angiography images of patients who were referred to our clinic for any reason and received the diagnosis of carotid stenosis, carotid dissection, and extra or intracranial aneurysm were reviewed retrospectively.

Results
Significant differences were detected in the carotid arteries of normal patients and those with aneurysm and dissection. When normal and aneurismal patients were compared, right and left ICA diameters (p = 0.000, p = 0.002, respectively), total ICA diameters (p = 0.000), carotid left Ø diameters (p = 0.026), right and left total Ø diameters (p = 0.024), and Murray’s and our cosine values of Ø angles (p = 0.001 and p = 0.022, respectively) were found to be different. Also, in a comparison made between normal patients and patients with dissection, right CCA (p = 0.000), ICA (p = 0.001), ECA (p = 0.004) diameters, total CCA (p = 0.001), ICA (p = 0.009), and ECA (p = 0.003) diameters were also found to be different.

Conclusions
This study showed that the presence of aneurysm plays an important role in the remodelling of the carotid arteries. Also, it is understood that Murray’s laws are still valid for the detection of structural deterioration in carotid artery diseases. Hence, it is believed that these data can be used in artificial intelligence studies.