Does Carotid Artery Tortuosity Play a Role in Stroke?. Issue 4 (November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Saba, Luca; Sanfilippo, Roberto; Suri, Jasjit S.; Cademartiri, Filippo; Corrias, Giuseppe; Mannelli, Lorenzo; Zucca, Serena; Senis, Ignazio; Montisci, Roberto; Wintermark, Max
• Is Part Of: Canadian Association of Radiologists journal. Volume 72:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 789
• Page End: 796
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Subjects: carotid artery -- stroke -- CTA -- tortuosity -- neuroradiology; Radiology, Medical -- Periodicals; Radiology, Medical -- Canada -- Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1177/0846537121991057
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0846-5371

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the association between carotid artery length and tortuosity, and the occurrence of stroke. Material and Methods: In this retrospective study, IRB approved, 411 consecutive patients (males: 245; median age: 56 ± 12 years, age range: 21-93 years) with anterior circulation ischemic stroke were included. Only patients that underwent CTA within 7 days were considered and stroke caused by cardiac embolism and thoracic aorta embolism were excluded. For each patient, both carotid arteries were considered, and the ICA, CCA-ICA length and tortuosity were calculated. Inter-observer analysis was quantified with the Bland-Altman test. Mann-Whitney test and logistic regression analysis were also calculated to test the association between length and tortuosity with the occurrence of stroke. Results: In the final analysis, 166 patients (males: 72; median age: 54 ± 12 years, age range: 24-89 years) with anterior circulation ischemic stroke that were admitted to our hospital between February 2008 and December 2013 were included. The results showed a good concordance for the length of the vessels with a mean variation of 0.7% and 0.5% for CCA-ICA and ICA length respectively an for the tortuosity with a mean variation of 0.2% and -0.4% for CCA-ICA and ICA respectively. The analysis shows a statistically significant association between the tortuosity index of the ICA and CCA-ICA sides with stroke ( P value = 0.0001 in both cases) and these findings were confirmed also with the logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Results of this study suggest that tortuosity index is associated with the presence of stroke whereas the length of the carotid arteries does not play a significant role.