Assessment of spatial inhomogeneities in intima media thickness along an arterial segment using its dynamic behavior.

To assess locally deviating structural and mechanical properties of arterial walls, the spatial variance in end-diastolic intima media thickness (IMT) and the change in IMT during the cardiac cycle (DeltaIMT) were determined along a short segment of the common carotid artery (15.86 mm), at 16 positions simultaneously. Intrasubject spatial inhomogeneities along the artery were revealed by a spatial variance significantly larger than the temporal variance over several beats. If differences between positions were confirmed, the extent of the inhomogeneity was obtained by comparison of IMT and DeltaIMT at each position with their spatial medians +/- the least-significant difference. Because no intersubject comparisons were necessary, a single session of several measurements was sufficient to assess inhomogeneities in the arterial wall properties of a subject, making the method independent of biological variability between subjects. The method was evaluated on 47 presumed healthy subjects (age range 21-75 yr). In 22 subjects, spatial inhomogeneities in DeltaIMT occurred (P < 0.05). In young subjects, DeltaIMT was locally decreased, i.e., in systole inhomogeneities were less compressed than their surrounding tissue. In older subjects, DeltaIMT was locally increased, i.e., the inhomogeneity was locally more compressed than its surrounding wall tissue.