Kanters S D, Elgersma O E, Banga J D, van Leeuwen M S, Algra A
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 1998 Jul;16(1):28-35. doi: 10.1016/s1078-5884(98)80088-9.
To assess reproducibility of ultrasonographic measurements of arterial distensibility and intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid arteries.
Prospective study.
Measurements of IMT and arterial distensibility were performed on-line in B-mode and M-mode, respectively. Blood pressure was assessed. From the measured variables stiffness indices were derived.
Twenty-five persons were included in the IMT study, both healthy subjects and patients with atherosclerotic disease. Distensibility was measured in a randomly selected subgroup of 10 persons. All subjects were examined by two different sonographers on the same day and were re-examined after 1 or 2 weeks.
When data from both carotid arteries were combined, the interobserver coefficient of variation of IMT was on average 11.7%, of diastolic diameter 3.3% of distension and relative distension 11.8%, of distensibility coefficient 12.3%, and of stiffness parameter beta 19%. Intraobserver variability was slightly lower than interobserver variability. Variability for measurements in the right common carotid artery only was higher than for measurements of both carotid arteries combined.
Our study demonstrates that reproducibility of measurements of IMT and arterial distensibility of the common carotid artery, by B-mode and M-mode ultrasonography respectively, is acceptable when used in large studies.
评估超声测量颈总动脉动脉扩张性和内膜中层厚度（IMT）的可重复性。
前瞻性研究。
分别以B模式和M模式在线测量IMT和动脉扩张性。评估血压。从测量变量中得出硬度指数。
IMT研究纳入了25人，包括健康受试者和动脉粥样硬化疾病患者。在随机选择的10人亚组中测量扩张性。所有受试者在同一天由两名不同的超声检查医师进行检查，并在1或2周后重新检查。
当合并两侧颈总动脉的数据时，IMT的观察者间变异系数平均为11.7%，舒张期直径的为3.3%，扩张和相对扩张的为11.8%，扩张系数的为12.3%，硬度参数β的为19%。观察者内变异性略低于观察者间变异性。仅右侧颈总动脉测量的变异性高于两侧颈总动脉合并测量的变异性。
我们的研究表明，在大型研究中，分别采用B模式和M模式超声检查时，颈总动脉IMT和动脉扩张性测量的可重复性是可以接受的。
