Carotid ultrasonography in the assessment of cardiovascular risk

Carotid ultrasound is one of the most accessible examinations in daily clinical practice for the evaluation of the arterial status. However, the clinical implications of the presence, the extension and the morphology of carotid damage are not entirely clear. Aim of this narrative review is to discuss the role of carotid ultrasound in the assessment of cardiovascular risk through the examination of the updated evidence in the literature. We describe the technical aspects of the procedure and the possible correlations between the imaging results and the assessment of the cardiovascular risk. Some insights about new, more sophisticated techniques for carotid evaluation, such as carotid three-dimensional and contrast-enhanced ultrasound, are also presented.