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The association between cervical internal carotid artery (cICA) tortuosity and atherosclerosis is a matter of debate. Additionally, some genetic syndromes characterized by connective tissue remodeling are associated with arterial tortuosity, raising the possibility that cICA tortuosity may not only be atherosclerotic. In this study, we hypothesized that cICA tortuosity is not associated with imaging biomarkers of atherosclerosis.The Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) was a prospective, multiethnic cohort of stroke-free individuals who underwent brain MRA, carotid ultrasound and transthoracic echocardiogram from 2003-2008. The cICA tortuosity was scored in each carotid as 0 = no tortuosity, 1 = tortuosity90°, 2 = tortuosity ≥90°. A summary cICA tortuosity score (possible range 0-4) was created by adding up the tortuosity score from each carotid. Participants were assessed for atherosclerotic markers by using B‑mode carotid sonography and transthoracic echocardiography.Of 558 participants 178 (31.9%) had any cervical ICA tortuosity (tortuosity score0). The cICA tortuosity score was higher in women and was associated with diastolic and systolic blood pressures and height (all P 0.05). In models adjusted for demographics and risk factors, only the association with diastolic blood pressure remained significant (β = 0.002, P = 0.02). Similarly, cICA tortuosity was associated with larger aortic root diameter (B = 1.03 ± 0.36, P = 0.004) but not with other markers of carotid or aortic atherosclerosis.Cervical ICA tortuosity is associated with a higher diastolic blood pressure and larger aortic root diameter but not with other measures of atherosclerosis. Determining the risks of vascular events associated with this non-atherosclerotic phenotype may help for a better risk stratification for individuals with cICA tortuosity.

Purpose: To explore the association between carotid artery length and tortuosity, and the occurrence of stroke. Material and Methods: In this retrospective study, IRB approved, 411 consecutive patients (males: 245; median age: 56 ± 12 years, age range: 21-93 years) with anterior circulation ischemic stroke were included. Only patients that underwent CTA within 7 days were considered and stroke caused by cardiac embolism and thoracic aorta embolism were excluded. For each patient, both carotid arteries were considered, and the ICA, CCA-ICA length and tortuosity were calculated. Inter-observer analysis was quantified with the Bland-Altman test. Mann-Whitney test and logistic regression analysis were also calculated to test the association between length and tortuosity with the occurrence of stroke. Results: In the final analysis, 166 patients (males: 72; median age: 54 ± 12 years, age range: 24-89 years) with anterior circulation ischemic stroke that were admitted to our hospital between February 2008 and December 2013 were included. The results showed a good concordance for the length of the vessels with a mean variation of 0.7% and 0.5% for CCA-ICA and ICA length respectively an for the tortuosity with a mean variation of 0.2% and -0.4% for CCA-ICA and ICA respectively. The analysis shows a statistically significant association between the tortuosity index of the ICA and CCA-ICA sides with stroke ( P value = 0.0001 in both cases) and these findings were confirmed also with the logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Results of this study suggest that tortuosity index is associated with the presence of stroke whereas the length of the carotid arteries does not play a significant role.

Tortuosity of the carotid artery is usually an asymptomatic vascular abnormality and is discovered accidentally during cerebral angiography. These vascular changes may aggravate surgical procedures in the neck region. We described a technique of permanent catheter insertion in patients with renal graft failure in whom renal replacement therapy was necessary. Severe tortuosity of cervical arteries may make this procedure more difficult, necessitating a special technique, that is, full image monitoring.

Extracranial carotid artery aneurysms belong to uncommon and dangerous vascular diseases. Reported herein are the results of successive surgical treatment of a patient presenting with an extracranial aneurysm of the internal carotid artery. Given anatomical peculiarities (large dimensions of the aneurysm, tortuosity of the internal carotid artery), it was decided to perform resection of the aneurysm with an end-to-end anastomosis established. The patient examined at 12 months postoperatively was found to be free from the syncopal states, with no restenosis of the zone of the anastomosis revealed. The chosen therapeutic policy provided effective prevention from the development of ischaemic stroke and aneurysmal rupture, as well as improved the patient's quality of life. An open reconstructive operation is an optimal method of treatment of patients presenting with extracranial carotid artery aneurysms.К редким и опасным сосудистым заболеваниям относятся экстракраниальные аневризмы сонных артерий. В статье представлены результаты успешного хирургического лечения больного с экстракраниальной аневризмой внутренней сонной артерии. С учетом анатомических особенностей (большие размеры аневризмы, извитость внутренней сонной артерии) была выполнена резекция аневризмы с наложением анастомоза по типу 'конец-в-конец'. У пациента, осмотренного через 12 мес. послеоперационного периода, исчезли синкопальные состояния. Рестеноза зоны анастомоза не обнаружено. Выбранная хирургическая тактика обеспечила эффективную профилактику развития ишемического инсульта и разрыва аневризмы, улучшила качество жизни пациента. Открытая реконструктивная операция является оптимальным методом лечения больных с экстракраниальными аневризмами сонных артерий.

Purpose: Increased arterial tortuosity has been suggested as a predisposing factor for carotid artery dissection, which is an important risk factor for development of extracranial carotid artery aneurysms (ECAA). Prior to comparison with non-ECAA controls, the optimal measurement technique should be defined. This study describes the difference between software packages in terms of reproducibility and absolute outcome of arterial tortuosity measurements in ECAA patients. Methods: CT-angiography analysis was performed on 12 ECAA patients selected from our registry, using four software packages: 3mensio Vascular, TeraRecon, Vital Images, and Aycan OsiriX PRO. The tortuosity index (TI) was calculated from the skull base until the carotid bifurcation and aortic arch, and was defined as the centerline’s true length divided by the straight line distance. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to quantify inter- and intra-observer variability within one software package, and differences in measured TI between packages. Results: Inter-observer agreement was nearly perfect for 3mensio, excellent for Vital Images and OsiriX, and substantial for TeraRecon, with ICC 0.99 (0.96–1.0), 0.90 (0.69–0.97), 0.84 (0.53–0.95), and 0.72 (0.28–0.91), respectively. Intra-observer agreement ranged from ICC 1.0 for 3mensio to 0.91 for TeraRecon. Agreements in TI ranged from ICC 0.99 (0.98–1.0) for 3mensio vs. OsiriX, to 0.95 (0.82–0.98) for 3mensio vs. TeraRecon. Median time needed to complete one round of measurements was highest for OsiriX (p = 0.013). Conclusions: Carotid artery tortuosity measurements are reproducible and comparable between current commercially available software packages, with high intra-observer agreement. Although the reproducibility differed per software packages, all packages scored an acceptable inter-observer agreement.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a general assumption in the cerebrovascular literature that there is an association between carotid artery tortuosity and connective tissues disease; however, this has not been firmly established. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of carotid artery tortuosity in patients with connective tissue diseases relative to matched controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with previous CTA or MRA and a diagnosis of connective tissue diseases were identified and compared with a cohort of age-matched controls. Radiologists blinded to the diagnosis reviewed the images and evaluated the presence of carotid artery tortuosity (including loops, kinks, or coils). Continuous variables were compared using the Student t test, and categoric variables with χ(2) tests. RESULTS: One hundred forty-three patients with connective tissue disease and 143 controls were included in this study. Specific diagnoses included Marfan (n = 33), nonvascular Ehlers-Danlos (n = 36), Ehlers-Danlos vascular-type (n = 32), neurofibromatosis type 1 (n = 26), and Loeys-Dietz (n = 16) syndromes. The presence of carotid tortuosity was 44% in connective tissue disease and 16% in controls (P < .001). Of tortuosity manifestations, coils were most prevalent (23% versus 3%; P < .001). Among the various connective tissue diseases, the rates of any carotid tortuosity were 88% for Marfan syndrome, 63% for Loeys-Dietz syndrome, 42% for neurofibromatosis type 1, and 19% for both vascular- and nonvascular-type Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The positive predictive value of the combination of aortic aneurysm and carotid tortuosity being associated with connective tissue disease was 95.4%. The specificity was 98.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid artery tortuosity is highly associated with connective tissue diseases, particularly Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and neurofibromatosis type 1. Such findings are relevant in risk assessment for vascular complications in connective tissue disease, endovascular treatment planning, and in understanding the pathomechanisms of vascular tortuosity in general.

Background and Purpose— Dissection is an increasingly recognized cause of ischemic stroke, which occurs spontaneously or after trauma, in relatively young patients. We hypothesized that there might be a predisposing factor weakening the vascular wall and that arterial tortuosity might be higher in patients with dissection. Methods— We consecutively enrolled cervical artery dissection (CerAD) patients who had undergone magnetic resonance angiography. Age- and sex-matched healthy subjects who underwent magnetic resonance angiography in a routine health examination were used as controls. The tortuosity was measured semiautomatically from the carotid artery and vertebral artery (VA) arteries. Tortuosity index was defined as: [(arc/chord)−1×100] in each arteries. Independent risk factors associated with CerAD were investigated using multivariable analysis. Subgroup analysis according to the dissected artery was performed. Results— There were no differences in vascular risk factors between the 75 CerAD patients and the 75 controls. The tortuosity indexes of the contralesional VA (16.3±6.8 versus 12.1±4.5, respectively; P P =0.01) were higher in patients with CerAD compared with those of control subjects. VA tortuosity (odds ratio, 1.175; P =0.001) was independently associated with the presence of CerAD. In subgroup analysis, VA tortuosity was significantly higher in 57 patients with VA dissection than in controls ( P P =0.05). Conclusions— CerAD is associated with tortuous cervical arteries, which may implicate weakened cervical vascular structure in these patients.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine if carotid arterial tortuosity represents a marker of disease severity in Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS). METHODS Fifty-four 54 LDS patients (mean age, 17.0 years) who underwent computed tomogram angiography from January 2004 to December 2013 were retrospectively identified. Carotid artery tortuosity index (CATI) was calculated from computed tomogram angiography. Clinical variables were obtained from the medical records. Relationship between CATI and need for aortic root replacement was evaluated with Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS Higher CATI was associated with the need for aortic root replacement (P < 0.001) in the univariate Cox proportional hazard model. Patients were stratified based on both CATI and aortic root size in Kaplan-Meier analysis, and patients with higher CATI were more likely to require aortic root replacement (P < 0.001) in both aortic root size strata. CONCLUSION Increased carotid artery tortuosity is associated with the need for early aortic root replacement in patients with LDS.

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: This study aims to examine the relative impact of aortic arch and carotid artery anatomy on the procedural times and clinical outcomes in patients who have suffered acute ischemic strokes (AIS). Mechanical thrombectomy remains the gold-standard of care for large vessel ischemic stroke. Given that short procedural times are necessary for good clinical outcomes, arterial access is an important technical consideration. It has been recently demonstrated that abnormal carotid artery anatomy can increase endovascular procedure times in this patient population. However, there are no studies examining the impact of aortic arch anatomy on operative times. Additionally, no studies have looked at the impact of aortic arch and carotid artery tortuosity on clinical outcomes in AIS. Thus, we sought to exam the influence of various aortic arch and carotid artery anatomic variables on interventional procedure times and clinical outcomes. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We included 56 patients who underwent embolectomy with successful revascularization for acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation from a period of 01/2016-05/2018. The average age was 71 (+/− 17 years) with 39% being male. We calculated anatomic variables on the affected side from CT angiograms immediately prior to embolectomy including the medial-to-lateral span, as well as the anterior-to-posterior span, of both the aortic arch and carotid arteries. In addition, the take-off angle of the respective vessel (left common carotid or right brachiocephalic) was calculated. Charts were reviewed for procedural times and epidemiologic information (HTN, HLD, DM, CAD and Afib). Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was calculated from PT/OT and outpatient neurology notes. Partial correlation coefficients were performed between anatomic variables, temporal variables and outcome variables after adjustment for age, gender and epidemiologic information. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation between procedure time (time at groin puncture to time at reperfusion) and take-off angle. There were no other significant correlations between anatomic measures and procedure time. In addition, there was as a significant positive correlation between both procedure time and time from last seen normal to reperfusion and delta mRS (the difference between pre-stroke and post-stroke mRS). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: These results suggest that patients with larger take-off angles have an association with longer procedural times and worse outcomes. If these patients can be effectively identified prior to the procedure, operators could feasibly use a non-femoral access method initially to reduce procedure time.

Summary Aberrant common carotid artery anatomy is a rare cause of a lateral neck mass in pediatric patients. In this article we present the first reported case of a young boy presenting with a pulsatile submandibular mass due to an aberrant common carotid artery. Although there are many causes of carotid artery tortuosity, no specific syndrome or specific diagnosis associated with the arterial changes was ultimately assigned to this child. Though only conservative medical management was elected, this case illustrates the importance of considering abnormal carotid artery anatomy as a rare, but potential cause of neck mass in the pediatric patient.

Purpose —Tortuous vessels are known to hinder the accuracy of extracranial carotid duplex ultrasound evaluations, yet the prevalence and location of hemodynamically significant lesions in these patients is relatively unknown. We evaluated the frequency and location of significant carotid occlusive disease in duplex ultrasound patients with carotid artery tortuosity. Methods —Data from consecutive patients for a 7-month period were prospectively entered into a database. Only initial studies were included in this study. Follow-up examinations, endarterectomy or stent vessels, and internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusions were excluded from analysis. Tortuosity was classified according to the angle of vessel curvature, i.e., between 60° and 90° (C1); 30° and 60° (C2); less than 30° (C3), and the location of the area of maximum stenosis in relationship to the area of tortuosity, i.e., pre- (S1), intra- (S2), or post- (S3) tortuosity. Lesions causing ≥50% diameter reduction (>125 cm/sec) were considered hemodynamically significant (HSIG). Results —A total of 200 patients and 370 vessels were analyzed. ICA tortuosity was found in 22% (82/370) of all vessels analyzed. Classification of the angle of vessel curvature for vessels with tortuosity was C1-50% (41/82), C2-40% (33/82), and C3-10% (8/82). HSIG disease was found in 17% (48/288) of nontortuous and 10% (8/82) of tortuous ICA vessels ( p = 0.172). The level of maximum stenosis preceded the area of tortuosity (S1) in all tortuous ICA vessels with HSIG disease. Conclusions —In this study, vessel tortuosity affected nearly a quarter of all vessels analyzed. The frequency of significant carotid disease was similar for patients with tortuous and nontortuous vessels. The location of maximum stenosis occurred before the area of curvature in all tortuous vessels with hemodynamically significant internal carotid artery disease, suggesting that this area should be the primary region of interest when evaluating duplex ultrasound patients with carotid artery tortuosity.

Purpose : To evaluate the geometry of carotid artery by assessing the images of contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) and interrelationships between the geometry of carotid artery and clinical factors. Materials and Methods : 216 consecutive patients who performed supraaortic CE-MRA with fast spoiled gradient-echo imaging were included. Their medical records were reviewed for variable information including risk factors predictive of generalized atherosclerotic disease (age, hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidema, and smoking), sex, body weight, height, and body mass index (BMI). We reviewed the CE-MRA with carotid origin (3 types), carotid artery tortuosity, angle of internal carotid artery bifurcation, the type of aortic arch branching, and the presence of the coiling of carotid artery. Results : Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that significantly contributed clinical backgrounds for carotid origin were the age and the BMI. With an increase of age at 1, the probability that the type of carotid origin become from type 1 to type 2 was 0.9 times (p=0.004) in right carotid artery (RCA), 0.9 times (p = 0.031) in left carotid artery (LCA), 0.9 times that are likely to be type3 from type 2 (pand , respectively. Conclusion : The BMI, age, sex and presence of HTN affects the geometry of carotid arteries, the site of origin and tortuosity of carotid artery specifically.

The significance and management of cervical carotid artery tortuosity are controversial. One hundred eighteen cases of angulation of the common carotid artery and over 800 cases of elongation of the internal carotid artery have been reported. The etiology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of each entity are reviewed. Angulation of the common carotid artery is often managed conservatively. For clarity, elongations of the internal carotid artery should be classified as either tortuosities or kinks. Some patients with kinks of the internal carotid artery will have episodes of cerebrovascular insufficiency related to the position of their heads. Such patients merit thorough diagnostic evaluation. When other etiologic factors have been eliminated, patients in this group may benefit from a surgical procedure directed at the vascular abnormality. Applicable surgical techniques are discussed.