Purpose:
Preeclampsia is a multisystem condition with unknown cause, with extensive endothelial malfunction and vasospasm, that develops during pregnancy. Published studies have reported contradictory results on if carotid artery intimal media thickness (C-IMT) increases in preeclamptic pregnant women. As an attempt to identify this condition timelier and monitor the therapeutic measures, the C-IMT in preeclamptic women was compared with that of pregnant and non-pregnant healthy control subgroups.
 
 
Methods:
A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 21 preeclamptic pregnant, 21 healthy pregnant, and 21 non-pregnant women with normal blood pressure. Participants’ age between subgroups were statistically matched. The C-IMT of the subjects was measured implementing a 7-12 MHz surface probe, turning the tissue ‘harmonic imaging function’ on, putting the focal point on the near wall of common carotid artery, and averaging the measurements in 3 standardized regions along the common carotid artery on both sides. The findings compared between subgroups employing Kruskal-Wallis test.
Results:
The minimum, maximum and mean C-IMT in preeclamptic pregnant women, healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women were respectively (0.4, 0.8, 0.600), (0.3, 0.4, 0.300), and (0.2, 0.5, 0.300), with significantly thicker C-IMT in preeclamptic patients (P <0.001). C-IMT was not meaningfully different between healthy pregnant and non-pregnant participants.
Conclusion:
C-IMT was significantly different between the three subgroups, with thickest intima-media thickness in preeclamptic participants. Thus, measuring C-IMT in the early stages of pregnancy and closely monitoring its size during management course may greatly help in quantify the progression/regression of the condition as pregnancy advances and post-delivery.