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Updated: May 11, 2026
A Methodological Approach to Non-invasive Assessments of Vascular Function and Morphology
Published on: February 7, 2015
Carotid intima-media thickness measurement through semi-automated detection software and analysis of vascular walls
G Novo1, R Di Miceli, D Orlando
1Center for the Early Diagnosis of Preclinical and Multifocal Atherosclerosis, Paolo Giaccone University Hospital, Section of CardioAngiology, Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases, Palermo, Italy.
Aim:
The aim of the present study was to compare the semi-automatic measurement of carotid intima thickness (RFQIMT - Esaote, Italy), with the conventional method.
Methods:
We enrolle 81 patients, mean age 46 years ±15, with no history of cardio-cerebrovascular events and we assessed the traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We examined the IMT of the common carotid artery with manual and RFQIMT method (based on the "Radio Frequency" signal), according to the ASE protocol.
Results:
Semi-automatic measurement was on average lower than manual measurement (617 μm ±191 vs. 676 μm ± 222) with a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). In agreement with manual measurements, the values of RFQIMT increased with increasing age and presence of cardiovascular risk factors.
Conclusion:
The RFQIMT measurement was, on average, lower than manual measurement, this means that probably, age- and gender-related reference values of RFQIMT need to be revised.
