Noninvasive physiological assessment of vascular wall sclerosis using carotid pulse tracing and cine magnetic resonance.

In order to evaluate vascular wall sclerosis, the authors compared parameters of carotid pulse tracing with ascending aortic wall distensibility by using cine magnetic resonance (MR). Cine MR and carotid pulse tracing were performed in 20 healthy volunteers (mean age fifty-six years). They measured the interval from aortic second heart sound (A2) to the dicrotic notch (DN) (A2-DN interval), and the height from dicrotic notch to top/total height of carotid pulse tracing (b/a ratio). Ascending aortic distensibility was calculated from the following formula: max area - min area/min area x pulse pressure. There were significant positive correlations (r = 0.70) between the A2-DN interval and ascending aortic distensibility and between b/a ratio and ascending aortic distensibility (r = 0.63). The measurement of A2-DN interval and b/a ratio using carotid pulse tracing is a useful method for assessing ascending aortic wall sclerosis.