Association of age, gender and carotid artery atherosclerosis with carotid artery tortuosity

Objective To investigate the relationship of age, gender, carotid artery atherosclerosis with carotid artery tortuosity. Methods The data of patients with carotid computed tomography angiography(CTA)at Beijing Hospital from January 2014 to June 2016 were retrospectively reviewed.A total of 100 patients aged ≥50 years with normal carotid arteries and 100 patients with atherosclerotic carotid artery diseases were selected with age-and gender-stratified and random sampling method.Three-dimensional images of bilateral carotid arteries were reconstructed by using Mimics software.The common carotid artery(CCA)tortuosity index, extracranial internal carotid artery(EICA)tortuosity index, and the CCA-ICA bifurcation angle were measured.Association of laterality, age and gender with carotid artery tortuosity was analyzed and the differences in parameter values of carotid artery tortuosity were compared between normal carotid artery subjects and patients with atherosclerotic carotid artery. Results In normal carotid artery group, the EICA tortuosity index and ICA angle were larger in left-side than in right side(P 0.05). Manne-Whitney tests showed no statistically significant differences in EICA tortuosity, ICA angle or CCA tortuosity between patients with versus without atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis(P>0.05). Conclusions The tortuosity in both EICA and CCA increases with age, and the EICA and CCA are more tortuous in female.There is no significant correlation between carotid artery tortuosity and atherosclerotic carotid artery disease. Key words: Carotid artery diseases; Age factors; Sex factors; Atherosclerosis