Relationship of lumen diameter to type and degree of arterial remodeling at sites of expanding wall or plaque thickness in human carotid artery

Background: Arterial remodeling exhibits a bidirectional capacity. Whether lumen size affects remodeling response to lesion change is unknown. Methods: Prospective study by duplex ultrasonography over 2 years in 61 subjects with coronary artery disease. Direction and magnitude of vessel remodeling are calculated for internal carotid, bifurcation, and common carotid artery segments. Results: A linear trend is discernible between lumen diameter and direction and magnitude of remodeling at sites of expanding intima-media thickness (IMT) or plaque. Rate of lesion change varied inversely with lesion thickness with an inflection between rates for low-dimension IMT and plaque. Conclusions: Dilatation versus shrinkage in the remodeling response to expanding lesions appears related to lumen size. IMT and plaque exhibit independent biologies. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.