Know your Risk - CIMT or Carotid intimal thickness testing is used to determine cardiovascular risk. This test is similar to CT calcium score testing used for cardiovascular risk. The benefit of the CIMT is that it also shows the presence of soft plaque in arteries, not just calcified plaque. Calcified plaque is only a part of the story, which is why even a calcium score of 0 does not reassure those of us in the ER or cardiologists that your chest pain is not a heart attack. The CT does not pick up plaque that is not yet calcified and is actually less stable. The CIMT can measure how thick the wall of the artery is, which gives a better evaluation of the arteries. The CIMT picks up both calcified and soft plaque in the carotid artery. This test has the ability to give a risk profile for patients worried about coronary artery disease or heart attack.
Other than the benefit of showing both types of plaque, this test also gives this information without the harm of radiation. CT scanners are x-ray devices that release harmful radiation, while the CIMT is performed without radiation in the form of ultrasound.