Carotid IMT: A Surrogate Marker for Cerebrovascular Disease?

High-resolution ultrasound images of the carotid artery wall can be used to identify early changes associated with atherosclerosis. The precision of the intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement is dependent on the sonographer, the imaging device and the analysis software. When done under tight quality control, IMT measurements can identify individuals at risk for future cerebrovascular events starting at an earlier age than what is possible with other diagnostic tests.