Longitudinal assessment of carotid atherosclerosis after Radiation Therapy using Computed Tomography: A case control
Michele Anzidei1, Jasjit S Suri2, Luca Saba3
1Department of Radiology, University of Rome la Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Objectives:
To study the carotid artery plaque composition and its volume changes in a group of patients at baseline and 2 years after head and neck radiation therapy treatment (HNXRT).
Methods:
In this retrospective study, 62 patients (41 males; mean age 63 years; range 52-81) who underwent HNXRT and 40 patients (24 males; mean age 65) who underwent surgical resection of neoplasm and did not undergo HNXRT were assessed, with 2-year follow-up. The carotid artery plaque volumes, as well as the volume of the sub-components (fatty-mixed-calcified), were semiautomatically quantified. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were used to test the hypothesis.
Results:
In the HNXRT group, there was a statistically significant increase in the total volume of the carotid artery plaques (from 533 to 746 mm(3); p = 0.001), in the fatty plaques (103 vs. 202 mm(3); p = 0.001) and mixed plaque component volume (328 vs. 419 mm(3); p = 0.034). A statistically significant variation (from 21.8 % to 27.6 %) in the percentage of the fatty tissue was found.
Conclusions:
Results of this preliminary study suggest that HNXRT promotes increased carotid artery plaque volume, particularly the fatty plaque component.
Key Points:
HNXRT increases carotid plaque volume. Plaque volume increase is mainly due to increase.in fatty plaque component. Patients who undergo HNXRT have a progression of carotid artery disease.
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