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Geometric characterization of stenosed human carotid arteries
1Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Rationale And Objectives:
The geometry of stenosed carotid bifurcations was analyzed to determine average representations for several stenosis grades.
Methods:
Film angiograms of 62 patients with internal carotid artery stenoses were digitized. Residual lumen boundaries were manually outlined. The outlines were processed with a computer to extract geometric measurements. The measurements were grouped according to stenosis grade and used to create average representations.
Results:
Accuracy and precision of the outlining technique were +/- 0.020 common carotid diameters (CCD) and +/- 0.025 CCD, respectively. Maximum narrowing of the internal carotid artery occurred at 0.3 CCD +/- 1.5 (mean +/- standard deviation) distal to the flow divider. The region of significant narrowing extended axially 1.2 CCD +/- 1.0. Poststenotic dilatations were observed, with enlargement of 1.3 +/- 0.7 times the normal diameter of the distal internal carotid artery. A tendency toward smaller bifurcation angles with increasing stenosis severity was observed.
Conclusion:
Three-dimensional geometric models could be created for carotid bifurcations that were disease free (normal) and of arbitrary stenosis grade.